Life before the era of air conditioning Bashny.Net

Use day-to-day many a long time familiar to us things we never think where these things come from, who invented it, who first started to use it, how long has it been and how to make do without them.

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Take for example the air conditioning. People living in most parts of the territory of Russia this appliance may seem a sort of luxury air-conditioned of course more comfortable, but you can well do without it. But for America, the air became a device which changed the country. About the air conditioner to say, as the devices to cool the air, but the effect of their advent reaches far beyond the temperature charts. Air conditioning changed the architecture of the buildings, the habitat of people and how they live. We can say that the air conditioning created the modern American way of life.

Before the advent of mechanical cooling devices people are constantly inventing various options on how to reduce the temperature in your home. Unfortunately, most of them were either ineffective or very expensive. Actively used the ice, but, as you know, I had to regularly purchase that was not all afford. The ice in the winter was mined on the frozen ponds of New England and delivered across the United States and in the Caribbean and even India! Up to a point saved low population density, large number of green spaces and the fact that many towns were located on the banks of large reservoirs. In addition, people have been slow to move into the hot southern States. Including therefore, almost all large American cities were built on a relatively comfortable accommodation for the Northern part of America.

The merchant of ice. Texas, 1939.

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View any photo of new York in the early 20th century: a metropolis built up with tall buildings, paved streets, electric lighting, water supply system, Sewerage, numerous shops, public transport, underground and surface metro lines, schools, libraries, and so on, and cool in the hot summer months was achieved only with a piece of ice, open the Windows, electric fan. Besides, life is very complicated then adopted dress code. Long dresses women suits and hats is mandatory for men. Not surprisingly, many quite strongly smelled of sweat.

Employees of the company Andrews Paper Co. in summer clothes, Washington, 1917.

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Air conditioning changed the American architecture. This has particularly affected the private housing. Before its appearance in the construction of actively used materials such as stone and brick, which are longer kept warm and cold. The ceilings in the rooms did above that the hot air was going over my head, leaving the inhabitants of the relative cool downstairs. Appeared later ceiling fans helped to lift the warm air up in summer and down during winter.

Office plankton in 1912. Of devices for cooling only the fan on the walls.

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Private houses were mainly two storey. Bedroom and always settled on the upper floors and used them only at night, opening the window wide open. All life was on the ground floor. Window made possible from all sides of the building to blow out the interior. Over interior doors made a special opening Windows that improve air circulation in the rooms.

Residential house in Washington, DC. 1920.

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On the South side of the house always planted trees to create shade. And in the summer they served as a barrier for sun rays and in winter, when the leaves were falling, on the contrary let them pass into the room. The same goes for the widespread greening of urban streets, which were planted with trees with spreading crowns, to give good shade. In buildings with active use of the chimney effect, making the stairs open, and through them, pulling hot air up and into the street. Small rear courtyard planted with trees, bushes and plants also had their function. With the help of opening and closing certain Windows and doors in the house did cool air from the back yard and went out the hot air from the premises. The window was closed by shutters or blackout curtains to prevent heating of the walls of the room and furniture from sunlight. The houses were definitely large covered terrace, which slept during the hot summer months.

Building in Georgia, in 1944.

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Urban residents had worse. During extreme heat they ran in city pools and all available water reservoirs. The beaches were crowded. To sleep they had in the fire stairs or even on the street.

Children swimming in Central Park, 1944.

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The queue for free ice during especially hot days. New York, 1900.

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Fire hydrants in new York was intended not only to extinguish the fire, but in order to cool its inhabitants.

Children bathe in water from the hydrant. New York, 1939.

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Old high-rise buildings always had a complex P or N shaped, so that everyone inside had the maximum number of Windows. Until the 40-ies of the Windows of many skyscrapers in new York were equipped with awnings that covered the room from direct sunlight, and inside were murmuring numerous fans, disperse damp and stuffy air.

Flatiron building, 1909.

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Most of the cities in the South and many cities in the North of the USA died out during the summer months. People were moved to other places. Many went to the ocean, the coast of which was built up with apartment-hotels. The capital of the United States in the summer months turned into a Ghost town.

The unit in the window is not actually air conditioning, and a special cradle for the baby.

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In order to get a little cool, people were ready for hours to ride on a double-Decker open-top buses or trams, which were either open or does not exist.

Children licking ice during the hot summer of 1911.

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Man changed America was a 25-year-old Willis carrier, who worked as an engineer for Buffalo Forge Company of Buffalo city, new York. Solving the problem of excessive humidity in the building of the Brooklyn printing plant in 1902, he assembled and installed in its basement which became the first device in the history of air conditioning. But this was not the compact, to which we today are accustomed to and the vast machinery filling nearly the entire basement. In the same 1902-conditioning system and ordered the new York stock exchange, which found her already not to solve production problems, and for the comfort of employees working in the building. Then off we go. The first office building with air conditioning was Armor building in Kansas, Missouri, and each room was equipped with individual thermostat.

Willis carrier with his brainchild.

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The first device for cooling of a private house, appeared in 1914. Compact it too was not perfect. Created it the same carrier, and installed the first home air conditioner in the mansion of Charles gates, son of tycoon John gates, who made his fortune on barbed wire. Funny thing was that the mansion gates was in the capital of Minnesota — Minneapolis — a city in the North of the USA is not the hottest climate. For a long time because of the high cost and huge size the air conditioners were the exclusive preserve of big business. They were installed in Department stores, theaters, hotels, and similar places. In private homes as they are still a very long time was fairly uncommon.

Air conditioning company carrier, 1928.

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The first theater with air conditioning became new York's Rivoli, belonging to the famous paramount pictures. In 1925, at the suggestion Carrier it was equipped with air conditioning, and ticket sales have increased several times. The fact that all theaters have experienced problems during the hot summer months. The audience didn't want to sit in a stuffy enclosed spaces, which is why even the most popular movies went to half-empty houses and the theaters suffered large losses. Problems have disappeared with the advent of air conditioning, and cinemas began to be filled with jam, as people began to go there not only to watch a movie, but to just sit in the cool. This in turn changed the time Prime films and a timetable of outputs. Many of the paintings began to appear on the screens in the summer, during the active pilgrimage in the movie. The advantage of air conditioning has become so obvious that in just five years of Carriera conditioning system was installed in more than 300 cinemas across the country. Air conditioned equipped offices, shops, hospitals, factories, railroad cars, etc. They have improved conditions and increased productivity in the summer months. Air conditioners are given the opportunity to travel more comfortably and to live with comfort where before was impossible to live.

Cinema Rivoli, 1925.

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In 1931 appeared the first window air conditioner. All anything, Yes only it cost more than some houses. More or less mass, these devices were only in the 50-ies of the last century, and before that time, America and the rest of humanity, somehow got along without them. The advent of affordable air conditioning has revolutionized the real estate market and changed the demographics of the country. The Exodus from the southern States, which lasted the entire first half of the 20th century gave way to rapid growth. Began active colonization of Florida, California, Texas, Georgia, new Mexico, and other Sun belt States of the USA. The land around the large cities began to be built of cheap wooden houses equipped with window units, in combination with other reasons led to mass migration to the suburbs and changed America forever. People began to spend more time at home, and the TV finally tied them to the sofa. Ocean vacation seasonal first turned into weekly and then decreased to several days. The need to move on the ocean coast during the hot months of the disappeared, which resulted from the decline and closure of many American resorts such as Coney island and Atlantic city. At the same time cars, planes and air conditioners has made available a vacation in new places, like Florida, Mexico or the Caribbean. published 

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P. S. And remember, only by changing their consumption — together we change the world! ©

 

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