Electricitydistribution/Lightforall

To deliver electric power to its destination – industries and other ventures that required ‘force’, as well as residential or service-providing buildings that demanded ‘light’, hence the name ‘force and light’ – a considerable investment was necessary in the installation of an extensive network throughout the city. The distribution of electric power from the Frei Caneca station was carried out through an underground network, in the central area of the city – which was undergoing a sharp process of modernization – and through an extensive overhead network, for the South and North zones. These poles carried high and low voltage energy and also telephone cables, another service brought by Light to Rio de Janeiro and which will be addressed further ahead, in another room of this exhibition. Access to electric power caused one of the greatest revolutions of civilization and a radical change in habits and customs; countless novelties emerged. In the photograph, the number of men employed in the placement of a concrete pole is striking.

Image description: This is a black-and-white photograph showing a scene of a concrete pole being erected. On the left, there is a house with a tiled roof. In front of the house, a group of workers is raising the pole. They are wearing casual clothes and hats. Behind the workers, there are trees and a fence. In the bottom right corner, there is a sign with text that reads: "Erected 30' Concrete Pole April 93 1524".

The 1908 photograph, likely taken by E. A. Mortimer, who provided services to Light at the beginning of the 20th century, received a textual addition in English alongside the poles and cables – clarifying the functions of each of the elements. One can see the high and low voltage network cabling, fuses and transformers, the trolley power cable, and telephone cables and wires. These poles served only to support the cables; for lighting, one sees a simple pole, close to the one that supports the transformer. In the background of the image and to the right, the Babilônia stone, and in the left corner, far in the background, is the Grajaú stone.

Image description: This is an old black-and-white photograph showing a street with several electrical and telephone lines. On the left side, there are trees and a wall with metal railings. In the center, two large wooden poles carry many power and telephone wires. On the right, there are more trees and a small building with a sloped roof. In the lower left corner, there is a date and some letters that are not entirely clear.

In the photograph taken on Amaro Cavalcanti street, in the direction of Todos os Santos, one can see the use of the same pole to support various electricity cables, in addition to the light fixture. The telephony poles run in parallel, further to the left, on the other side of the train line (which is not seen in the image). In the background, one can see the basilica Imaculado Coração de Maria.

Image description: This is an old grayscale photograph showing a paved street with a stone wall on the left and a row of trees and buildings on the right. In the center of the image, there are several public lighting poles with wooden cross-arms carrying 24000-volt electrical lines. The sky is clear and the horizon is slightly hazy. At the bottom of the image, there is blue text that reads: "PUBLIC ILLUMINATION POLE WITH WOODEN CROSS-ARMS CARRYING 24000 V. LINES. PLATE N° 855 OCT.1923". Also written are "BOX NO.149" and "855" in the bottom right corner.

In the 1923 photograph, of an important road in Bangu [the current avenida de Santa Cruz, perhaps], we observe the poles for high-voltage cables and wires on both sides of the path, but we do not see any streetlights. Public lighting was slow to arrive in the more distant localities from the city center, in the northern zone. There is no sign of tram tracks either, on this road. But when we pay attention to the ground just ahead of the larger pole, we observe that a rail (for a mule-drawn tram, certainly) crosses the road and passes through the gate installed in the middle of the extensive wall, on the left side of the image. And inside there, there is lighting; we can see the poles with lamps.

Image description: This is an old black-and-white photograph showing a street with several people walking. On the left, there are simple houses with tile roofs and gardens. In front of them, there is a utility pole with several hanging wires. In the center of the image, there are more utility poles and a wide road. On the right, there is a wooden fence and more people walking. In the background, there are buildings and trees.

Certain operations of the Light attracted pedestrians, who were unaware of those ‘gizmos’ used to construct the underground chambers where the large transformers were installed. At the moment of the photograph, the hole was being dug and the earth, dumped into a cart positioned beside the crane, was being moved.

Image description: This is a historic black-and-white photograph showing an urban scene with several people and a piece of electrical power distribution equipment. On the left, a group of adults and children can be seen observing the equipment. In the center, a large mechanical device is being operated by a person standing on a platform. On the right, there is a two-wheeled cart with a man standing on it. In the background, old buildings with balconies and windows are visible.

Here, an underground chamber on Central Avenue, currently Rio Branco. It is worth noting the aligned employee in the background, who poses for the photographer.

Image description: This is a black-and-white photograph of the interior of a transformer vault. On the left, there is a large metal cylinder with an open lid. In the center, a man in dark clothing stands looking at the camera. On the right, there are two large metal tanks, possibly containing electrical equipment. In the background, we see pipes and cables hanging from the ceiling. In the lower right corner, there is an inscription that reads "Rio, May 28, 08 Transformer Vault VII Avenida Central cor. Rua do Passeio."

12

Imagem 1 de 2: Transformer Vault VII – Avenida Central cor. Rua do Passeio [Cofre de transformador] – Fotógrafo não identificado

Not even the rain prevented the curious from following the installation of a transformer in one of the underground spaces of the city center. While the Light workers concentrated on the heavy operation which involved, furthermore, a good dose of precision, many passersby sheltered under their umbrellas and followed along with evident interest. In this photograph, taken on Treze de Maio street, one can see in the background, to the left, the famous building that housed for many decades the Cordão do Bola Preta, founded in 1918 and considered the oldest carnival block in activity in Rio; the last remnant of the old cordões.

Image description: This is a black-and-white photograph showing an urban scene with several people gathered around industrial equipment. On the left, there is a group of individuals attentively watching something at the center of the image. In the center, there is a large metal device with the inscriptions "ABC" and "0780." On the right, a military vehicle is partially visible, with a uniformed man standing near it. In the background, tall buildings and urban structures form the setting.

A record of the installation work of the Light underground network, between the neighborhoods of Flamengo and the Frei Caneca substation. In the background, the Santa Bárbara tunnel, towards Laranjeiras-Catumbi.

Image description: This is a black-and-white photograph showing workers at a construction site. On the left, we see people standing, some watching and others talking. In the center, workers are engaged in construction activities, using tools and materials. On the right, there is an arched structure, possibly a tunnel or underground passage. At the top of the image, a man is standing on a platform, holding an object that appears to be a camera. In the background, we see a green area with vegetation.

Since the beginning of the 1940s, public policies aimed at the issue of favelas in the city were already being developed. In 1948, the first census of the communities was conducted; there were already 105 favelas and their population was, for the most part, composed of migrants. Much later, in 1979, when Israel Klabin was appointed to take over the city hall of Rio de Janeiro by the then-governor Chagas Freitas, his desire was to create a secretariat of social development that would place emphasis on solving the problems of the favelas – and the precarious supply of electricity was one of the aspects to be tackled, among others. This visual documentation addresses that period, when Light and the municipal government worked together. In the photograph, we see what the old electricity boxes were like, installed at a point where Light's electricity arrived and from which an informal distribution network began to dozens or even hundreds of family units.

Image description: This is a black-and-white photograph of a simple house located in a valley surrounded by mountains. The house is at the center of the image, with a small door and windows. To the left of the house, there are two large concrete blocks with inscriptions. To the right, there is a person walking. In the background, there is a mountain covered in dense vegetation, with a higher, hazy peak. There are also power lines cutting across the image.

This photograph shows how the new installations were being implemented, in replacement of the old wiring, improvised by the residents themselves from a single distant point and brought to their residences in a precarious and irregular manner.

Image description: This is a black and white photograph of an urban scene. On the left side, we see a house with a tiled roof and a white wall. In front of it, there is an electricity pole with many hanging wires. A worker is climbing a ladder fixed to the pole. In the background, other electricity poles and more houses are visible. There is a pile of broken bricks on the right, and some clothes hanging out to dry on the balconies of the houses.

Whenever possible, trucks equipped with agile cranes participated in the operations, entering tiny spaces to proceed with the installation of the heavy concrete poles.

Image description: This is a black-and-white photograph of a construction scene in a residential neighborhood. On the left side, we see a green area with plants and a pile of wooden shingles. In the center, there is a large rock and a truck with a crane lifting a wooden pole. People are scattered around, some working with equipment. In the background, we see several brick houses with metal roofs. The engraving on the crane reads "POLSCAT".

The trucks and their cranes could not always participate; transporting the poles across steep slopes and installing them was sometimes a risky operation that involved a lot of effort, involving sophisticated safety measures and a team always committed to the completion of the task.

Image description: This is a black-and-white photograph showing workers performing a task at a rural site. On the left side, we see a brick building with a sloped roof, surrounded by dense vegetation. In front of the workers, there is a large wooden pole. The workers are wearing safety helmets and white shirts, focused on a task involving a large piece of wood. In the background, we see several simple houses with tile roofs, also surrounded by vegetation. The landscape is mountainous, with trees and plants growing on the slopes.

This image is a beautiful example of the integration between the Light workers and the residents of those communities, who received them with curiosity and attention.

Image description: This is a black-and-white photograph showing a scene of electric power distribution in a community. On the left side, we see a green plant with large leaves. In the background, there is a small white house with a sloped roof. In front of the house are several people, some wearing safety helmets. On the right, children are sitting on the ground, looking at the camera. In the center, there is a large barrel and a water tank. Behind the house, there are trees and vegetation.

What happiness to be able to observe one's own ‘light box’ with the clock indicating the family's energy consumption. From then on, the residents began to receive their electricity bill monthly, thus reaching a new level of citizenship: the proof of residence that they did not have until then and which opened doors to other rights.

Image description: This is a black-and-white photograph of an urban scene. On the left, there is a concrete wall with an electrical distribution box mounted on it. Two men are working on one of the boxes, using ladders to reach the electrical connections. On the right, three other men watch the work. In the background, there are trees and a house with a sloped roof. The sky is clear, indicating a sunny day.

Observe in the photograph the contrast between the precariousness of the shack with its fence and the concrete pole with the metal boxes and their meters, all connected to an impeccable electrical installation. The other rights – such as the right to housing – did not arrive together with the installation of electricity, in most cases.

Image description: This is a black-and-white photograph of an urban scene. On the left side, we see a small brick building, with a person working on its roof. In the center, there is an electricity pole with hanging wires. On the right, there is a tree with green leaves. In the foreground, there is a wooden fence.

On the occasion of the delivery of the works, the celebration could not be missing! It certainly involved the community leaders, politicians from the legislative and executive branches; in addition to Light, naturally. The small percussion group on an improvised stage set the tone for the party.

Image description: This is a black-and-white photograph showing a scene with people playing musical instruments on a stage. On the left side, a man is standing, holding a drum. Beside him, other men are also playing instruments. On the right, two boys are dancing. In the background, there is an electric power pole and some simple houses. At the bottom of the stage, there is a sign with text in Portuguese.

- In this image, at an event for the delivery of electrification works, Mayor Israel Klabin is seen on the right, wearing a white suit. During the period he headed the City Hall, he promoted, among other achievements, tax amnesty and improvements to the taxpayer service system, the urbanization of favelas, and the Medical Care Plan for the Center and the West Zone of the municipality. However, he left the municipal leadership in 1980 due to friction with the federal government, following the rejection of his proposal to re-examine the law of the merger between the defunct state of Guanabara and the former state of Rio de Janeiro. He was replaced by Júlio Coutinho. In recent times, Light continues to work alongside various communities in projects aimed at regularizing the energy supply and reducing the monthly bill amount – such as Comunidade Eficiente, aiming for awareness regarding consumption and the donation of equipment and lamps.

Image description: This is a black-and-white photograph of an electrical power distribution event at a community location. In the central part, a man in a suit holds a microphone, while behind him is a door with wooden grating. To his right, another man in a white shirt looks on. In front, children and adults are gathered, some in simple clothing and others shirtless.