A baby bush-baby in a set of scales at London Zoo shortly after birth. (Photo by Fox Photos/Getty Images). 10th August 1938

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.

Snakes wearing hats is now an internet meme and it’s kind of cute but also kind of terrifying. I don’t know about you, but I don’t think there’s anything more evil than a giant cartoon snake wearing a bowler hat – the hat just makes it even more sinister. As you can see below, some of these snakes look cool and cute, but some of them are pretty frightening. Either way the addition of a dumb hat definitely has an effect on them. I definitely won’t be getting a pet snake any time soon.

These daredevil divers decided that the sight of a great white shark wasn’t thrilling enough, so opted to entice it in with a hunk of bait. The pictures, taken by Dmitry Vasyanovich, 47, from Moscow, Russia, show the divers reeling the ocean monster in before, remarkably, attempting to tap it on the snout. The perilous incident took place off the coast of Guadalupe Island, Mexico. Here: Daredevil divers teasing a great white shark. (Photo by Dmitry Vasyanovich/Caters News)

A dejected German Grenadier carrying a machine gun on his shoulder in front of a building on fire during the German retreat in Russia. (Photo by Keystone/Getty Images). 1944

Studio stack: Rabbit? Acanthocinus aedilis, Cerambycidae, A female Timberman (Timbermam perhaps?). Stacked from 216 exposures in Zerene Stacker (PMAX). (Photo by John Hallmén). P.S. All pictures are presented in high resolution.

Fascist youth, both boys and girls, in the rebel uniforms in Irun after the city had been captured by the rebels. (Photo by Maeers/Fox Photos/Getty Images). 13th November 1936

An Indian Brahmin and his family. (Photo by Hulton Archive/Getty Images). Circa 1890