We haven't yet reached the hot and humid summer days when our clothes stick to our bodies and the city air is thick with sweat, but when those days come, we'll be able to shut ourselves inside, crank up the A/C, and think, "How the hell did anyone survive without this miraculous, air-cooling box of love?" Here now, we have 18 photos showing how New Yorkers did just that in the 1930s. The decade experienced the hottest summer ever recorded when temperatures reached a whopping 106 and stayed above 90 degrees for 26 consecutive days during 1936. Thankfully, 1936 was the same summer that eleven WPA swimming pools opened in the city, giving New Yorkers sweet relief from the heat. The pools were feats of engineering for the time, plus each was architecturally distinct. Check them out in the gallery above, along with some photos of familiar summer fun: Italian ice carts, fire hydrant water play, and concerts in the park.
· Parks' Swimming Pools History [NYC Parks]
· Summer Flashback archives [Curbed]
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