With temperatures soaring and summer well underway, countless Americans will be spending their Independence Day weekend at the beach. Here we revisit some classic images from the turn-of-the-century to the 1930's of vacations by the sea, from Coney Island to Santa Monica.

Festival goers plays in mud during the 15th Annual Boryeong Mud Festival at Daecheon beach in Boryeong, about 190 km (118 miles) southwest of Seoul, July 15, 2012. About 2 to 3 million domestic and international tourists visit the beach during the annual mud festival, according to the festival organisation. (Photo by Chung Sung-Jun)

Kim Anderson photography career, now overseen from his home base in a Swiss mountainside village, began the way of many shutter bugs. His early photos focused on fashion and people, as well as photography for advertising agencies.

“One in Eight Hundred” by Mario Wezel, from Germany, is the winner of the “People” category. The title refers to the odds given to Martin and Karina at their prenatal screening before their daughter, Emmy, was born. The five-year-old from Denmark has Down's Syndrome. (Photo by Mario Wezel/Sony World Photography Awards)

A devotee of the Hare Krishna faith poses for a photograph during the festival of Rathayatra on June 12, 2011 in London, England. Rathayatra, or Chariot festival, features three huge, wooden chariots pulled by hand across Central London accompanied by constant singing, chanting, drums, cymbals and dancing. (Photo by Matthew Lloyd/Getty Images)

A Malaysian Hindu devotee (C) reacts in a state of trance as she walks towards the Batu caves temple during the Thaipusam festival celebrations in Kuala Lumpur on January 24, 2016. More than a million Hindus celebrate the festival of “Thaipusam” at temples across the country. (Photo by Manan Vatsyayana/AFP Photo)

Ava Cheptoo Cheruiyot, 11, a member of the Dance Centre Kenya (DCK), performs on stage during The Nutcracker at the Kenya National Theatre in Nairobi on December 7, 2024. The Nutcracker is a beloved Christmas ballet, first performed in 1892, with music by Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky. Known for its enchanting score and festive themes, it has become a holiday tradition worldwide. (Photo by Luis Tato/AFP Photo)

India cricket fans light firecrackers as they celebrate India winning the ICC Champions Trophy on a street in Varanasi, on March 9, 2025. India beat New Zealand by four wickets on March 9, 2025 in the one-day international (ODI) final to claim a record third Champions Trophy title. (Photo by Niharika Kulkarni/AFP Photo)