They’re all lightly dressed, by the standards of the time, and trying to catch a breeze out on the porch, which was probably quite large and deep to accomodate all those people. Some of them will be sleeping out there around 11 pm or midnight, when the breezes actually start to cool off. This was the world for EVERYBODY before air conditioning, even for Vanderbilts and Gettys.
They’re all lightly dressed, by the standards of the time, and trying to catch a breeze out on the porch, which was probably quite large and deep to accomodate all those people. Some of them will be sleeping out there around 11 pm or midnight, when the breezes actually start to cool off. This was the world for EVERYBODY before air conditioning, even for Vanderbilts and Gettys.