It wasn’t easy to stay cool before the invention of air conditioning, and even harder before we had electric power. But some of our Founding Fathers were able to invest in a Fan Chair. The chair, invented by musical instrument maker John Cram, had pedals somewhat like those of a sewing machine, which powered a simple fan that moved back and forth to create a slight breeze on the user’s face. The version you see above is somewhat of an improvement, relying on the action of rocking the chair to move the fan.
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This is just one gadget from a roundup of eight methods of keeping cool before air conditioning at Mental Floss, most of which we don’t use anymore. To be honest, I really would like a sleeping porch. I’ve known a few people who had them, and they are nice as long as there’s a roof for rain and a good screen for insects.
(Image credit: U.S. National Archives)
Source: neatorama