I grew up in Roswell, New Mexico, average humidity about 5% IIRC. Even the humblest hovels had swamp coolers, frequently supported on a 2 x 4 framework up to a window. Before my dad started making money we lived in a modest home that had a swamp cooler on the roof. It just blew the air downward through a large chute. I used to love standing under that on a hot day, and there were plenty of those.

Later we moved into a house that had what they called “refrigerated air conditioning.” I can only guess that meant AC as we now know it, that is with a compressor. Not sure it was any better than swamp coolers but undoubtedly more expensive both in startup and operating costs. If there was ever a problem from humidity with the swamp coolers I was not aware of it.

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Te futueo et caballum tuum

1986 300SDL, 362K
1984 300D, 138K