TheformerGEfactoryanditssurroundings

In 1919, General Electric S.A. was founded, headquartered in Rio de Janeiro, and two years later its first incandescent lamp factory in Brazil was inaugurated in Maria da Graça, a railway suburb of the Rio's Zona Norte. With over 200,000 square meters, it was one of the largest manufacturing complexes in the city. The presence of the railway tracks — and all the transportation advantages that came with them — certainly contributed to the choice of this plot of land as the site for the factory, in yet another testament to the intimate relationship between the development of the suburban region and passenger trains.

Image description: This is a black-and-white photograph of an urban area. On the left side, we see a large field with railroad tracks crossing it. In front, there is a road extending toward the center of the image. In the center, there is a long, rectangular building, possibly a factory, with several smaller structures around it. Further to the right, there are more buildings and green areas. In the background, we see more buildings and urbanized areas.

The history of the old GE factory dates back to the very founding of the company, established in the United States in 1878 and a pioneer in the manufacture of then-revolutionary products, such as the electric stove, the refrigerator, and, of course, the incandescent light bulb, a product that the neighborhood of Maria da Graça would go on to supply to all of Brazil.

The installation of the General Electric factory in 1921 — together with that of Cisper (1917) and the Fábrica de Tecidos Nova América (1924) — was responsible for the urban occupation of the suburbs covered by the neighborhoods of Inhaúma, Del Castilho, Maria da Graça, Jacaré, and Jacarezinho, forming one of the largest industrial hubs in Brazil. Just as occurred in the neighborhood of Maria da Graça, Bangu, Vila Isabel, Tijuca, Del Castilho, and Penha are also other good examples of suburban regions whose occupation was intensified by industrial development, especially during the early years of the 20th century.

Image description: This is a black-and-white photograph of an old industrial factory. On the left side, we see three tall, rectangular smokestacks. In the background, there are several industrial buildings, including structures with flat roofs and metal frameworks. On the right, there is a large construction tower covered in scaffolding. In the center, there is an open area with a pile of debris and an old truck parked nearby. The spatial arrangement is linear, with the main elements organized from left to right.

Reports indicate that, together, these industries employed more than half of the residents of the newly formed favela of Jacarezinho in the 1920s — largely migrants from the Brazilian Northeast. For the working class, living close to work meant saving time and money on commuting, also resulting in more hours for individual or family leisure. This relationship between time, space, and work was fundamental to the social, economic, and cultural arrangements of the region.

For decades, General Electric in Maria da Graça was one of the most modern factories in Brazil and a source of pride for its employees. After all, that was where the lights that illuminated the Cristo Redentor, the Maracanã, and so many other Rio de Janeiro landmarks were produced.

In the 1980s, investment in the factory in Maria da Graça declined, and some of its activities were progressively transferred to other plants in Brazil. In 2009, the industry completely ceased its activities in the Rio suburb. It is worth noting that, a few years after the factory's closure, the sale of incandescent light bulbs was banned in the country. Today, all that remains are the memories and ruins of a space that was fundamental to the shaping of the neighborhood of Maria da Graça and the surrounding region.

Image description: This is a photograph of an old industrial factory. From left to right, we see a concrete wall with graffiti and a metal fence. In the center, there is an abandoned building with a sloped roof and metal structure. On the right, there is a green area with trees. The sky is blue with some white clouds. At the bottom of the image, we see railway tracks.