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Past Summers in the City

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Arts & Entertainment

Past Summers in the City

"Young children running around under sprinkler in street to cool off during summer, in South Harlem in shot from series of NYC Police Dept.'s Crime Prevention Photos of Juvenile Aid Bureau." August 8th, 1937. — Gothamist

Jen Carlson

Published May 25, 2009

Modified May 25, 2009

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Since Memorial Day weekend marks the unofficial start to summer, here are some old LIFE magazine photos showing city-dwellers cooling off during past summer months. Maybe you can take some pointers from them this season (stoops, shorts, shade and swimsuits seem to help)! Or you can always spend the hot months indoors finally reading Infinite Jest. [Hat tip Ephemeral NY]

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Jen Carlson has been an editor with Gothamist since 2004. Her writing has also been published on Jezebel, Deadspin, and a number of composition notebooks before the internet existed. In 2015 she won a spot in the inaugural Amtrak Residency program and traveled the nation via rail. She has an Ed Hardy tattoo, but she can explain. She is currently an editor and reporter on the NYC Accountability desk in the Gothamist + WNYC newsroom.

Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations

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