Rio de Janeiro in the 1930s and 1940s was in constant ferment. In politics, the Revolution of 1930 pointed toward modernization through industrialization projects, breaking the control of the coffee-growing oligarchies. In the field of culture, the ferment came from the modernist movement, which began to question academicism and to envision a Brazil born of anthropophagy, with the renewal of the arts, attitudes, and habits.
In the process of implementing the City Plan, whose main task was to evaluate the old Agache Plan and, based on it, develop new projects for Rio, Mayor Henrique Dodsworth designed a large avenue meant to connect the ends of Rio de Janeiro toward the northern area. The opening of this avenue was the way to integrate more remote regions, where the popular classes were concentrated, into urban life.
Image description: This is a black-and-white photograph of a man in formal attire. He is facing the camera, with short, well-groomed hair. His expression is serious. The man is wearing a black suit with a white shirt and a cravat. On the suit's lapel, there is a folded white handkerchief.Image of Henrique Dodsworth, appointed mayor (interventor) of the Federal District of Rio de Janeiro (1937-45), appointed by Getúlio Vargas - Unknown author, 1937 - City Hall of Rio de Janeiro / AGCRJ.
Through the distinct policy for the south zone and for the rest of the city, Vargas's populism was gaining ground. The authoritarian experiences of the Interwar years underlay the premise of the new avenue – Mussolini, in 1932, designed the great Via del Impero, in Rome, and Hitler, in Berlin, after rising to power, envisioned a North-South avenue. In Latin America, 9 de Julio Avenue in Buenos Aires also served as inspiration. The demolitions required by the project involved churches and public buildings, such as the Paço da Prefeitura and the Igreja de São Pedro dos Clérigos. Streets and squares likewise succumbed to the avenue. At least two important strongholds of socialization and political mobilization were dismantled at once: the largo de São Domingos and the legendary praça Onze. It was in the small praça de S. Domingos that workers' associations (of a union nature) gathered for rallies, assemblies, and marches. May Day celebrations had been held there since the early twentieth century.
Image description: This is an old photograph of a square with historic buildings. On the left side, we see a large building with balconies and decorative windows. In front of it, there are potted trees and people sitting on the ground. In the center, there is a statue on a square base. On the right, other buildings with similar architecture, including one with ornate balconies. On the right side of the image, there is a building with an upper balcony. The ground is made of stone, and there are a few people walking across the square.View of Largo de São Domingos, Centro. Augusto Malta, circa 1910. Rio de Janeiro, RJ - Instituto Moreira Salles.
The idea of the great avenue, however, was not entirely new. The link between Cais dos Mineiros and Ponte dos Marinheiros was already on the mind of Grandjean de Montigny, and, in the 1920s, mayor Carlos Sampaio considered creating the Avenida da Independência, which would run from Rio Branco to Praça da República. The great avenue was also part of the proposals of the Agache Plan. With Henrique Dodsworth, appointed by Vargas as interventor of the Federal District during the Estado Novo (1937-1945), it was finally brought to life and significantly altered the geography of Rio de Janeiro.
Image description: This is an old photograph of a wide, busy avenue lined with buildings on both sides. On the left, we see low, older buildings, while on the right there are taller, more modern buildings. In the center of the avenue, a large number of vehicles, including cars and buses, can be seen moving in both directions. In the background, a tree-covered mountain is visible, adding a natural contrast to the urban landscape.Image of Presidente Vargas Avenue during construction. Author unknown, 1940s. Available at: http://heloisahmeirelles.blogspot.com/2012/05/avenida-presidente-vargas.html
Presidente Vargas Avenue began to be opened up in 1941, under the coordination of the city's Secretary of Transportation, engineer Edison Passos. His project had caused a great frisson at the 1938 Trade Fair (Feira de Amostras). Upon seeing the model, Vargas is said to have said: “Let's build it”. The president's support was fundamental to the project, which took Agache's proposed verticalization literally. Once finished, it was the symbol of Vargas's authoritarian power and of the disregard for the popular, cultural, and historical traditions of the places destroyed because of its construction.
Image description: This is a black-and-white photograph of an avenue. On the left side, we see a man standing, looking forward. He is near a tree. In the center, two workers are digging in a large crater. In the background, there are several old buildings with classical architecture. The sky is partly cloudy, and the avenue appears to be under construction.Workers labor on the opening of Avenida Presidente Vargas. Townhouses in the background of the image. Author unknown, 1942. Rio de Janeiro, RJ - Source: AGCRJ. Available at: http://wpro.rio.rj.gov.br/revistaagcrj/wp-content/uploads/2016/11/e10_a07.pdf.
