The heat of summer is nothing new to the Upstate of South Carolina, but today we enjoy the advantage of air conditioning and light clothing with arms and legs often exposed.  Margaret did not have the luxury of air conditioning, and her skirts could only go so high (right at the knee) before being considered inappropriate. 

These are houses in Margaret's neighborhood that show the use of awnings, porches and shade trees

Southerners relied on a few architectural tricks to keep their homes cool during the hot summer months. 

• Most southern homes had large front porches that blocked the sun from hitting the front of the house and encouraged cross-ventilation through the house.  This space was also used as a living room during the hot months to take advantage of any breeze available. (All of the mill houses in Margaret's neighborhood had front porches).  Historians believe that the idea of having large covered porches most likely owes its origins to the experience dealing with the hot, humid climate that Africans and West Indians brought with them.
• Sleeping porches were usually on the back side of the house or were on upper balconies to take advantage of the breeze.  These "rooms" were often screened to help keep out bugs but allowed residents to sleep outside of the hot upper rooms of a house.
• Floor plans that encouraged the hot air up and out of the house.  This included tall ceilings, open stairwells, and attic windows. Hot air is lighter than cool air. So, the cool air will always be on lower floors, while the hot air will rise up and out of the building (using something known as the chimney effect).
• Cross-ventilation uses windows and doors that line up to encourage a breeze to flow through the house, taking the hot air with it.
• Ceiling fans and window fans helped move the air on heavy windless days
• Awnings, shutters, and drapery blocked out the sun but allowed airflow
• Shiny metal roofs that reflected the heat away from the house
• Large shady trees were planted near the house.
• Weather permitting, the cool evening air was trapped in the house, and windows were shut to keep it in

Citations:

Calise, Gabrielle. “How Did Floridians Survive Before Air Conditioning? Florida Wonders Explores.” Tampa Bay Times. Tampa Bay Times, June 22, 2020. https://www.tampabay.com/news/florida/2020/01/02/how-did-floridians-survive-before-air-conditioning-florida-wonders-explores/.

Moredock, Will. “Enduring the Heat in a Historical Context.” Charleston City Paper, August 15, 2007. https://charlestoncitypaper.com/2007/08/15/enduring-the-heat-in-a-historical-context/.

Team, YCC. “How Buildings Stayed Cool before Air Conditioning Was Invented " Yale Climate Connections.” Yale Climate Connections, November 30, 2022. https://yaleclimateconnections.org/2019/12/how-buildings-stayed-cool-before-air-conditioning-was-invented/.

The following object description information includes basic elements from the Dublin Core Metadata Initiative (DCMI).  An additional notes field is included to list dates from the actual letter, envelope postmark locations, and any other identifying details. 

• Contributing Institution - Greenville County Historical Society
• Collection Name - Margaret Payne Collection
• Language - English
• Rights - Copyright held by the Greenville County Historical Society; no reproduction without written consent from the Greenville County Historical Society.
• Notes – Handwritten letter dated July 21, 1943, two pages. Includes envelope, postmarked July 22, 1943, 3PM, from Camp Santa Anita, Arcadia, Calif.

There are two men we can thank for the air conditioning we know of (and enjoy) today.  The first is John Gorie, who was a physician in Florida in the 1800s.  John's study was of tropical diseases, and in keeping with the current school of thought he suggested that sick rooms should be cooled, and he used ice in a basin suspended from the ceiling to do this. Being heavier, the cool air flowed across the patient and through an opening near the floor. This was the beginning of his new career, and by 1844 he had created a way to create ice mechanically so that it would not have to be shipped down from the north. By 1845 he had given up his medical practice and devoted his energy to the creation of machines to make ice.

Next is Willis Carrier, who in 1902 drew up plans for what became recognized as the world's first modern air conditioning system at Sackett-Wilhelms Lithographing & Publishing Company of Brooklyn, New York.  On January 2, 1906, Carrier was granted U.S. Patent 808,897 for an Apparatus for Treating Air, and through the years until late 1930 saw advancements in the "air conditioner".  There was a lack of advancement during the war years, as the primary goal of the air conditioning industry was not to create new, innovative, and totally different products for the comfort of customers in the domestic market.  Instead, it was to provide equipment and men to work on that equipment for the war effort.  After the war, air conditioners became more and more common in cars and homes, and technology worked to make more efficient and lower priced units.

The 1902 product marked the birth of modern air conditioning because of the addition of humidity control, which led to the recognition by authorities in the field that A/C must perform four basic functions:

1. control temperature
2. control humidity
3. control air circulation and ventilation
4. cleanse the air

Citations:

Powell, Peter. “The 1940s: Industry Pulls Together to Help Win World War II.” ACHR News RSS. ACHR News, August 10, 2011. https://www.achrnews.com/articles/87931-the-1940s-industry-pulls-together-to-help-win-world-war-ii

Langer, Rene. “When Was the Air Conditioner Invented? AC Then and Now 2022.” How to Choose Best HVAC Systems. PICKHVAC, April 28, 2022. https://www.pickhvac.com/room-ac-unit/history.

In the letter Margaret has written John, she must mention that she was baking in a slip.  It is the end of July, and all week the temperature had been in the mid to upper 90s, so to heat the house by baking must have made the temperature inside the house miserable.  As you can see from the patterns above, the "slips" she most likely wore were more like a sundress and not a negligee or a peignoir set.

At this time only an average of 1 in 400 homes had air conditioning, and with the cost, you can see why.  The cost of a simple window air conditioner at the time was about $400.00, or $3,500.00 in 2020 dollars. 

Citations: 

“1940s Vintage So-Easy Sewing Pattern Slip & Knickers (R594).” The Vintage Pattern Shop, July 16, 2021. https://thevintagepatternshop.com/shop/vintage-sewing-patterns.

“1940s Vintage Vogue Sewing Pattern Slip & Pantie (R244).” The Vintage Pattern Shop, May 1, 2022. https://thevintagepatternshop.com/shop/vintage-sewing-patterns/1940s-sewing-patterns/lingerie-nightwear-swimwear-1940s-sewing-patterns.

Langer, Rene. “When Was the Air Conditioner Invented? AC Then and Now 2022.” How to Choose Best HVAC Systems. PICKHVAC, April 28, 2022. https://www.pickhvac.com/room-ac-unit/history.

Citation: “1940's Vintage Lingerie Fashion Show - the Lingerie Addict.” YouTube, July 23, 2015. https://youtu.be/We34c6NWJEE.