HoteldosCondutoreseMotorneiros

“Everything in life is fleeting, except for the conductor and the motorman” was a popular saying in the 19th century. First, it's important to clarify that the ‘conductor’ was, in fact, directed by the motorman – he, indeed, being the man (since we know of no motorwoman in those days) responsible for driving the streetcar. A streetcar that ran on rails, that's true. But the rails didn't drive the streetcar; the operation wasn't quite that simple; it required training and concentration. In 1927, Light opened the Hotel dos Condutores e Motorneiros, on Rua do Bispo, in Rio Comprido, where those workers who had no residence in the city could spend the night and eat their meals. Light provided laundry, tailoring, barbershop, and infirmary services. Until recently, a campus of Universidade Estácio de Sá stood on the site. In the house to the left of the image, the Casa de Cultura da Estácio once operated.

Image description: This is an old black-and-white photograph of a residential building located at Rua do Bispo, number 87. The image shows a two-story building surrounded by a metal fence. On the left side, there is a smaller entrance with a small human figure nearby. The main building has barred windows and a balcony on the upper floor. In the background, there are other buildings and a power line crossing the sky. At the bottom of the image, it reads "Rua do Bispo 87" and "Rio-10-1927".

It's worth transcribing the initial excerpt of the article published in Revista Light in Jan. 1928: "[...] The motormen's house that is the conductors' delight. Just imagine when that becomes permanent... Yes... Because currently, it is only on a trial basis that Light maintains a hotel at number 27 Rua do Bispo, in Santa Alexandrina. And what a treat that hotel is, for a noble Christian soul, who wanders around out there, off the beaten track, eating badly and worse, without managing to get a job... All he has to do is show up at Light and it takes upon itself the task of teaching him. It teaches him for free, to be a conductor. And mind you, it's already something to learn to conduct others, when it's often already quite a struggle for a citizen to conduct himself." In this photograph, taken from the back of the hotel, Rua do Bispo lies just beyond the last buildings of the recorded complex. In the house in the background, on the right, with its hip roof, the Casa de Portugal now operates, on Rua do Bispo.

Image description: This is a black-and-white photograph of an urban area. On the left side, there is a large building with a sloped roof and regularly spaced windows. In front of this building, there is an open space with people walking. In the center, there is a lower structure with a central entrance. On the right, there are more smaller buildings, also with sloped roofs. In the background, there is a series of houses and buildings scattered across a hill. The sky is clear and cloudless.

Enquanto o paciente se inicia nos segredos da manivela, como praticante, a Light dá-lhe hospedagem (casa, comida e roupa lavada), aboletando-o no grande dormitório, que se estende com uma capacidade para várias centenas de homens. É que percebendo cinco mil réis por dia, o aprendiz não pode ter comodidades acima dessa quantia. [...] Só depois de aprender a tratar com o público, com urbanidade e correção, cobrando o níquel com delicadeza e suavidade, é que ele entra para o rol do pessoal graúdo da Companhia.

Image description: This is an old photograph of a large hall with multiple beds arranged in parallel rows. Starting from the left, the beds are closer to the camera and recede toward the back of the image. Each bed has a headboard and a protective rail. The walls are light-colored and have windows that let in natural light. On the ceiling, there is a central light fixture. On the right, there is a barred door and a window with closed shutters. In the lower left, there is a signature and a date: "Rua do Bispo 81 - Rio-18-1907".

Começa, como condutor efetivo, a ganhar dez, doze mil réis por dia e, então, já tem direito de escolher quarto na casa, pois, além do dormitório comum, há peças especiais com duas, três ou quatro camas, onde o freguês se pode acomodar com a turma conhecida, para evitar a vizinhança dalgum roncador de pescoço curto...

Image description: This is an old photograph of an inner courtyard of a building. On the left, we see a wall with windows enclosed by bars. In the center, there is a small structure with a tiled roof, surrounded by columns. On the right, there are more windows and balconies with decorative balustrades. The courtyard floor is covered with stones, and there is an empty space in the background. The date "Rio-11-7-927" is written in the lower left corner, and "Rua do Bispo 87" is in the lower right corner.

In the image, one aspect of the communal bathroom.

Image description: This is an old photograph of a public restroom. The image shows a row of five washbasins installed against a brick wall. On the left side, there is a large window with light coming in. On the right, there is a double door with glass panes. On the wall above the washbasins, three pieces of art or informational material are hung. To the right, there is a mirror and a suspended frame. The floor is covered with square tiles. In the bottom left corner, there is a signature and a location written in Portuguese.

In the detail of the previous photo, the poster fixed to the wall just above the mirror reads: "Tuberculosis spreads through sputum. [...] Do not spit or cough up phlegm on the floor or on the walls of houses. Sputum dries and turns into dust that penetrates the lungs and digestive tract and passes on the disease. [...] Spitting on the floor is a bad deed. Spit in the spittoon, in the latrine, in the sewer drain, in the gutter. [...]." And even considering that tuberculosis is no longer an epidemic today, we still see cariocas behaving badly out there...

Image description: This is a photograph of a public restroom. On the left side, there is a window with a gray frame. On the wall above the sinks, there is an informational poster about tuberculosis. Below it, two framed items hang on the walls. The one on the left appears to be a mirror, while the one on the right shows a person washing their hands. The sinks are white and have metal faucets. The wall is covered with gray square tiles.

A page from Revista da Light (year I, no. 2, March 1928), covering the training of motormen – the ‘streetcar drivers’ – at the school set up on Visconde de Itaúna street, in Praça Onze – now gone, to make way for Presidente Vargas avenue. There, a complete streetcar ‘truck’ was suspended, allowing trainees to simulate driving the car. “Few people in Rio de Janeiro know the work the Company puts into training the motormen who, numbering more than 1,000, drive the streetcars throughout the Federal District. [...] And to think that these people earn money while they learn and have the hotel on Rua do Bispo at their disposal!”

Image description: The image is a page from a newspaper or magazine, in black and white, showing the training of streetcar motormen. At the top, there is an illustration of two men in uniform inside a train car, with the number "3" prominently displayed. Below, there are three photos in sequence: the first shows a group of people seated on benches, attending a theoretical class on electricity and streetcar mechanics. The second photo presents a train motor in detail, while the third depicts a group of men standing, possibly discussing traffic regulations. The text describes the motormen's school located on Visconde de Itauna street, in São Cristóvão, Rio de Janeiro.