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Coney Island Beach
1976

This hat vendor catered to beachgoers who feared a sunburn.

In August of 1990, the New York Times reported, “People who once thought nothing of acquiring lobsterlike coloring are crowding beneath umbrellas.” One woman, en route to a Long Island beach, declared umbrellas essential to the trip: “The only thing better is sun block with an S.P.F. of about a zillion.”

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Shade in the Melting Metropolis icon Shade in the Melting Metropolis

Shade makes all the difference on a hot summer day. New Yorkers have long gathered under shade trees in parks and walked on the shady side of the street to beat the heat. Shade can also be portable. A parasol or a wide-brimmed hat make time spent in the sun more tolerable. A sun canopy or umbrella makes a trip to the beach safer and cooler. However it can be found, shade provides the relief necessary for New Yorkers in the summertime.