The Old Bohemian Lisbon (c. 1870-c. 1920): Prostitutes, Criminals and Bohemians
2002; Modern Humanities Research Association; Volume: 18; Issue: 1 Linguagem: Inglês
10.1353/port.2002.0000
ISSN2222-4270
Autores Tópico(s)Soviet and Russian History
ResumoTheOld Bohemian Lisbon(c. 1870-c.1920): Prostitutes, Criminals andBohemians PAULO GUIÑÓTE Western Europe in the late nineteenth century had its own particular system ofmoraland socialvaluesand createdan ideologicalframework that reflected thedesires, fears andaspirations ofthosewhowerepolitically dominant. Thiswas probably a moresystematic approachthaninearlier times, withexactrulesdefined forwhatwas acceptablesocialbehaviour foranyonewhodid notintend to defy thesocialand moralorderofthe day. According to thisview of society,stability was valued above all; respectforlaw and orderwas an essentialvirtueand, moreover, an essential pratice forthecommon good. This ideal modelof societyand thissystem of values,whichwe call Victorian,were commonto all westernliberal societiesof the late nineteenth andearlytwentieth centuries. Theyattempted to establish the place and function ofevery socialgroupand labelledas transgressors or deviants all individuals or groupswhosebehaviour didnotfit within the boundariesof thatmodel. However,this moralistic representation of society was insharpcontrast tothereality ofthedailylivesofmostofthe populationofWestern Europe.Suchrulesofbehaviour weresevereand suitableonlyto smallgroupsof people. They underlined thevaluesof family, work,rationality, sobriety andorderandstrongly rejected all that seemeddisorder, excessorprotest. Behaviour adverseto thisidealmodel was perceived as a menaceto stability. Andthosewho transgressed the boundaries ofthemodelwerelabelledas tainted withtransgression, vice andmarginality.1 Bourgeois society ofthelatenineteenth century nowlabelledthesocial phenomena, individuals orgroupsthatdidnotfit intoitsidealworld,and evencreateda new'science'to studythemcalledsocialpathology. This 'socialscience'was meant tostudy andcharacterize all those'socialtypes' thatdefied the'correct' wayoflife.Includedamongthem wereoccasional orprofessional full-time prostitutes, reoffenders andpetty thieves, as well as oldandnewbohemians looking fornewexperiences andpleasures(like thetraditional Portuguese 'marialvas'), fado-singers andevenlabourers in 1On therelationbetweentheideal modelofsocietyand whatwas assumedto be transgression and marginality inEuropesee,Kellow Chesney,Les Bas-FondsVictoriens (Paris:RobertLaffont, 1981);AlainCorbin,Les Fillesde Noce. MisèreSexuelleetProstitution aux XIXe etXXe Siècles (Paris: Aubier, 1979); Francis Finnegan, Povertyand Prostitution.A Study of Victorian Prostitution in York (Cambridge:CambridgeUniversity Press,1979); and Jeffrey Weeks,Sex, Politicsand Society.The Regulationof Sexualitysince 1800 (London/NewYork: Longmann, 1981). 72 PAULO GUINOTE searchofa little distraction after a hardday'swork.2 All wereidentified witha lifestyle of dissipationof timeand wealththatthreatened the desirable orderofsociety. Theywereseenas idle,their domainthenight and thedangerous quarters ofthecity.Theyhad to be controlled and,if necessary, erradicated. Theseindividuals andgroupsusuallylivedandmovedoutsidetheareas frequented by'respectable people',buttherepressive mechanisms ofthe politicaléliteonlystrengthened theboundaries between thebright world ofgoodandorderandthedarkworldofeviland disorder. The so-called 'dangerous classes'wouldbethesubject ofsuccessive efforts ofcompulsory marginalization inattempts toremove them from view.Inthelight ofday ladiesandgentlemen strolled inthestreets, walks,squaresandgardens of thecity; intheshadows,inthealleysandnarrow streets oftheancient and populous quarterswere the taverns,brothelsand inns of doubtful reputation. InLisbonthelinebetween thetwowas notalwaysclear,particularly downtown - 'a Baixa' - so it was evenmoreimportant to stressthe distinction betweenthecentralsquaresand streets aroundtheRossio or theChiado,thegardensofthePasseioPúblico,Estrelaand São Pedrode Alcantara andthedark,tangled alleysandsidestreets oftheoldestquarters ofthecity, suchas Alfama, MourariaandMadragoa.3 The mythology ofcrime, bohemia, prostitution, marginality andeven ofthe'fado' was createdbyitsdetractors. Dangerswereexaggerated to justify repression. The bourgeoisdiscourseenamouredof itsown style, created a seductive andcolourful universe inan attempt topresent a dark and menacing world.Itis significant thatthisprocessfirst emerges at the sametimeas lateromanticism in Portugal. Laterthedescription and the analysis ofthebehaviour ofmanyofthesestereotypical characters became a clichéofnaturalist andrealist literature, andwithitdeveloped inparallel anenthusiasm forstatistical analysis ofthesesocialphenomena.4 Thisarticle willexploretheworldofthisunderclass,bearing inmind thatitisnotso different today,andthatourvisioncanbedistorted bythe 2 Paulo Guiñóte and Rosa Oliveira, 'Prostituição,Boémia e Galantaria no Quotidiano da Cidade', inPortugalContemporâneo,ed. byAntónioReis,6 vols (Lisbon:Alfa,1990),11, 339-82; JoséMachado Pais,A Prostituiçãoe a Lisboa Boémia do Século XIX aos Inícios do Século XX (Lisbon:Querco, 1985). 3 AboutLisbonatthisperiodsee,Lisboa emMovimento,1830-1950 (Lisbon:Horizonte,1994). 4 Fialho de Almeida,Lisboa Galante.Episódios e Aspectosda Cidade (Porto:Chardron,1903); Gomes de Brito,Lisboa do Passado. Lisboa dos Nossos Dias (Lisbon: Ferin,1911); Francisco Câncio, Aspectosde Lisboa no Século XIX (Lisbon: Baroeth,1939); João Pintode Carvalho, Lisboa de Outrora(Lisbon:Grupode Amigosde Lisboa,: 1938);AngeloFonseca,Da Prostituição em Portugal(Lisbon: Occidental,1902); AlfredoGallis,A Baixa. Lisboa no Século XX (Lisbon: ParceriaAntónio Maria Pereira,1910); Afonso Gayo, Os Novos. Romance da Vida Boémia (Lisbon:Editora,1913); ArmandoGião, Contribuiçãopara o Estudo da Prostituiçãoem Lisboa (Lisbon: ChristovãoAugustoRodrigues,1891); and AlfredoTovar de Lemos, A Prostituição. EstudoAnthropologico da Prostituta Portugueza(Lisbon:CentroTypographicoColonial, 1908). PROSTITUTES, CRIMINALS AND BOHEMIANS 73 stereotypes, prejudices andmoraljudgements ofourownas wellas those from a nottoodistant past.Butfirst I willlookbriefly atthecity ofLisbon atthattime. The City Inthelastdecadesofthenineteenth andtheearly twentieth century Lisbon wasnota largeoroverpopulated industrial citybyEuropeanstandards. It was,however, byfarthelargest andpossibly onlyrealcity inPortugal. Its population rosetoa little morethan300,000peoplein1890andalmostto halfa millionsouls...
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