Chill Out with 5 Vintage Fans at Historic Sites by Emma Peters (July 2026)

Today’s blistering summers have resulted in people around the world exploring new ways to keep cool. While air conditioning is now a common convenience, it hasn’t always been available—nor is it always guaranteed. And as reliance on air conditioning grows, so too does its toll on natural resources.

Curious as to how people in the past stayed cool before air conditioning, we asked staff at the National Trust’s Historic Sites and Historic Artists’ Homes and Studios to share information about the vintage fans in their collections.