RowingandtheWorkersofRio

In the early 19th century, Rio de Janeiro's population had a relationship with the sea that was very different from today. It was in the middle of the century that the bond between Rio locals and the beach was built, as sanitary policy advanced, coupled with medicine's encouragement of sea bathing as a preventive measure. As the years went by, beaches came to be increasingly frequented by the population in search of leisure and healthy practices.

It was in the context of greater concern for health that water sports, introduced to the country by English immigrants, made their way into the then capital and gained followers not only among the elites, but also among workers.

Image description: The image is a black-and-white topographic plan, dated 1868. It depicts the Enseada de Botafogo, located in Rio de Janeiro. The plan is oriented with north at the top. In the center, there is a large circle representing the water, with lines indicating depths. Around this circle, red dots are marked, which may be geographic references or points of interest. To the left and right of the image, there are explanatory texts and details about the parks and clubs in the area. At the top, there is a title mentioning "Planta da Enseada de Botafogo" and a reference to a regatta held in September 1861.

Although most sporting practices were, almost always, restricted to the elites, the popular classes also had their share of involvement. Not without opposition from the wealthier classes: in the case of rowing, as soon as the sport became popular, the elites sought new ways to make their interests prevail, determining which practices would be considered positive and which would be seen as negative.

The activities that most involved the poor population were betting - considered "immoral" by high society. Several attempts to regulate rowing were made, in an effort to ban betting from regatta competitions. Starting in 1880, several nautical clubs emerged, which began promoting competitions with the participation of the popular classes - both on the teams and in the audiences -, such as Club de Regatas Paquetá (in 1884), Club de Regatas Fluminense (in 1892), Club de Regatas Botafogo (on 07/01/1894), and Club de Regatas Boqueirão do Passeio (on 04/21/1897).

On July 31, 1897, the União de Regatas Fluminense was created, an institution responsible for regulating and organizing regattas, establishing a series of codes and rules that further restricted access to the sport.

Image description: The image shows three pages of a notebook, possibly containing historical memoirs, with handwritten text in Portuguese. The pages are numbered 1 to 3, with red lines and stamps in the center of each page. The text is handwritten in black ink, with some parts highlighted. At the bottom of each page, there is a circular stamp with the text "CENTRO DE MEMÓRIA" and "CLUB DE REGATAS VASCO DA GAMA." The predominant color is light yellow, typical of aged paper, with wear stains.

In August 1898, Clube de Regatas Vasco da Gama was founded, and, in the same year, the club created the first rowing school in the city of Rio de Janeiro, with evening classes for members who, for the most part, were shop workers from downtown. The inclusion of workers among the club's members somewhat popularized access to the sport, since the other clubs controlled by the União de Regatas Fluminense generally had fairly restrictive bylaws. Another innovation of Vasco da Gama was the inclusion, among the rowers, of Black athletes, something previously nonexistent in the sport.

On the other hand, the elites sought new ways to consolidate their privileged access to rowing competitions, a fact that can be observed in the construction of the Pavilhão de Regatas, in 1905, by the then mayor Pereira Passos. The site, containing the best seats with a view facing the finish line of the regattas, had luxurious accommodations that ensured the comfort of the wealthy classes and represented a symbol of status and social distinction.

Image description: This is an old photograph of a construction in progress. The image shows a wooden structure under construction, with beams and horizontal and vertical frameworks. On the left, there is a small cabin or auxiliary building, possibly used for construction operations. The ground is covered with pieces of wood and other construction materials. In the background, there are more construction structures and a clear sky. The image is in black and white. In the bottom right corner, it reads "ARQUIVO GERAL DA CIDADE DO RIO DE JANEIRO".