Central heating and air conditioning has changed our lives in many ways.
No longer are we subject to the extreme temperatures that nature can throw at us.
We have climate controlled spaces to escape freezing cold or oppressive heat. The very first air conditioner unit was used by a publishing company in New York in 1902. The high humidity in the summer made it necessary to have an air conditioner, because the ink would not dry properly otherwise. Later on in the 1930s, air conditioning was not yet widespread at all. However, believe it or not, movie theaters were one of the first businesses to have air conditioners. It makes a certain kind of sense. Combining a chance to beat the heat with a good movie for entertainment was a powerful incentive, and that is why we now have the phrase “summer blockbuster”. Summer break for school was even supposedly implemented because the excessive heat and humidity in the summer was simply too much to reasonably expect kids to attend school during such times in certain parts of the country. I sure was glad for the air conditioner in the summer when I went to school! Great air conditioner was one of the reasons it was so easy for me to fall asleep in history class! Anyway, I think we should all be grateful for the invention of modern central heating and air conditioning. I’m pretty sure no one ever wants to go back to a time when we were at the mercy of the elements!