In 1936, this was Brazil, this tropical land that a few privileged French people came to visit.
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Tourist brochure about Brazil from 1936.
- A leaf.
- 10.2 cm x 23.2 cm, folded.
- 80 cm x 61.5 cm, unfolded.
- In French.
- Excellent condition of conservation.
Who was the owner of this tourist guide and how did he feel when he arrived in Brazil in 1936, a Brazil very different from today ? When I found this document in France, I traveled. I didn't travel from France to Brazil by plane - as I have so many times in my life - but I traveled mentally. I went back in time, as I always do when I find an old rarity.
On the front, there is a map of Brazil with lots of interesting information. We learn, for example, that there were only 250,000 telephones in Brazil and that there were 1,257 libraries for a little over 42 million inhabitants !
On the back, we learn about the main cities of Brazil: Curityba (as it was written in France) had 120,000 inhabitants, “a delightful climate and frequent snowfall”. Further north, the guide recommends visiting “Bello” Horizonte, a city of 180,000 inhabitants, and the Morro Velho gold mine, the deepest in the world. Agriculture, sports, motorsports, minerals and flora, communications, the Amazon rainforest, and industrial production are other topics covered on this side of the pamphlet with very interesting facts.
Who keeps outdated tourist guides in the smartphone age, especially from 1936? What this brochure tells is incredible. It allows you to measure how Brazil, and the world, has changed in almost 90 years, perhaps the age of your grandparents. You can also sense that tourism was reserved for an elite, educated group, who came by ship to see Brazil, traveling the country for several weeks or even months. These French people didn't just come to enjoy the beaches, caipirinhas and Carnival, but also to explore Brazil. In short, an exciting mix between TripAdvisor and Wikipedia.
