Frommealtocoffee:thebotequiminthelifeofRiodeJaneiro'sworkers

Present in the city since the early days of colonization - albeit under different names and forms of organization over time - spaces such as kiosks, bars and botequins have always served as places to talk and drink. With the development of factories, this relationship intensified, and since the mid-19th century the botequim has been the meeting place at the end of the shift for many Rio workers, especially from the early Republic onward.

Image description: This is an old photograph of a busy square, probably from the early twentieth century. The image is in black and white, with old buildings on both sides of the square. On the left, there is a building with arches and balconies, while on the right, there is another building with decorated windows. In the center of the square, there is a large open area where people are walking and interacting. In front, there is a circular structure with a red roof, possibly a kiosk or market stall. In the background, there are more buildings and a facade with columns, suggesting a public or commercial building.

Demonstrations and protests by factory workers marked the early years of the republican regime in Brazil. Political and social struggles were part of the daily lives of workers, both national and foreign, white and Black. The latter were the most harmed by the republican ideal, which not only marginalized them but, even more seriously, reprimanded them for any conduct deemed "uncivilized."

In order to control workers' behavior and ensure the sanitization and intended civilization of the city, repressive tools against laborers were widely applied in the most diverse spaces - including those of sociability. Under Article 396 of Chapter XII of the 1890 Penal Code, the habit of drinking was punishable by up to one month in prison. The law came into direct conflict with the leisure choices of formal workers - the working class in general - and informal ones - catraieiros, selistas, hunters, etc. - who used to gather in bars and kiosks to drink and talk, which could be interpreted as a crime by the authorities.

The republican control of the less well-off classes operated along the thin line between allowing them to relax after work and repressing them to prevent political uprisings. With a supposedly progressive discourse of city sanitization, the crackdown on kiosks and taverns became common, especially in the early years of the 20th century.

Image description: This is a historic black-and-white photograph of a botequim located at Largo do Depósito, now Praça dos Estivadores, in Rio de Janeiro's port district. In the image, we see a small establishment with an octagonal structure covered by a roof decorated with fringes. Inside the botequim, two men are serving drinks to customers. On the left, a man wearing a hat and a white shirt is interacting with the customer closest to him. On the right, another man, also wearing a hat and shirt, is leaning on the counter, looking to the side. In the background, other individuals are present, some watching the botequim. The building in the background displays architectural features typical of the period, with balconies and windows.

The kiosks were the target of the harshest criticism: small spaces that accommodated only the owner inside, while their patrons occupied the streets, which, for the sanitarist zeal of the period, was abominable. So much so that, during the Pereira Passos administration, some men from the economic elite decided to set fire to several kiosks in the city center, in order to put an end to what bothered them.

The bars known as "botequins" were less affected, since they accommodated their customers indoors, ensuring the "civilized" appearance expected of the then federal capital. Furthermore, the botequins sold not only alcoholic beverages but also food items, which may have discouraged repression.

Image description: This is a black-and-white photograph of an urban neighborhood, possibly in Rio de Janeiro, as mentioned in the context provided. In the foreground of the image, we see people walking along the sidewalk. On the left, two men dressed in suits are walking together. On the right, a woman walks alone, holding an object in her hands. In the background, there is a building with classical architecture, where a bar called "Bar Nacional" is located. Above the bar's entrance, there is a sign that reads "BOLS Vermute Gin." Additionally, there are tables and chairs arranged in front of the establishment, occupied by a few patrons.