Raf's Diary: Trip To Rio de Janeiro
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Raf's Diary: Trip To Rio de Janeiro *
December 16th, 2023 –
Today I went to an antique market in the centre of Rio de Janeiro, I was estranged by the beaming sun but relieved since I just touched down from freezing London.
I felt like I was meant to find what I found: a “O Cruzeiro” magazine from June of 1963 for a bargain. It was bigger than an A4 sheet of paper but worth the uncomfortable carrying.
"O Cruzeiro" stood out as the leading illustrated magazine in Brazil during the initial half of the 20th century, introducing a novel approach to the country's media landscape. Known for its graphical innovations and the publication of significant reports with a strong focus on photojournalism.
This release in particular was about the death of João XXIII and the cover bragged about it being printed “in colours”.
Amongst cigarette advertisements, familiar brands and slogans, hand-drawn art and portrayals of women that look more Western than Latin, these are my few observations:
Most ads were targeted towards women.
They were either housewives, caring mothers, or women worried about skin texture, weight and how sleek their sheets look.
It doesn’t *really* tell me why she is a happy housewife, what is this big benefit that the bedsheets could bring her that makes her so happy?
Emphasis on the “just like yourself” too.
I came across a one-page advertisement for an electronics engineering course.
(A few months my father showed me "that back in the day" courses were undertaken by mail: they would send you the materials, tasks, and instructions and mail it to them back and forth. By the end, you’d get a certification of completion.)
But what caught my attention was 15 small photos of ‘graduated students’ reviewing the course.
It also promoted having calcium, phosphate and proteins.
Whereas upon research this drink-like-medication-cure-for-depression had 9.5% alcohol content called Vermutin, which was previously released during the carnival of 1917 and advertised as “the best drink in the world”.
Problematic much?
But anyway,
It all transported me into a place I've never been before, a time I have never lived through (but thanks to episodes of Mad Men and the old pics and stories from my grandparents, I can kind of picture it).
A time when colours were celebrated, advertisements were instructive, scamp-like drawings were appreciated and images of products were emphasised.
A time when copy was lengthy and informational – when reading print was a leisure activity, people had time (and patience) and would not look forward to the end of the magazine. Therefore, the more entertainment, the merrier.
(On the other hand, a time when gender stereotypes were incredibly and utterly disgusting at its least… but I won’t get to that today…).
