Luis Gómez-Acebo y Duque de Estrada, Vizconde de la Torre

What people wore

San Fermín Festival Attire

The traditional San Fermín festival outfit of white clothes and red sash became popular in the 1930s. The red sash measures 2.5 meters long and 12 centimeters wide.

Getting around

Railways dominated passenger travel by 1936

By 1936, the railway was the dominant mode of transport for long-distance travel, accounting for nearly 75 percent of internal land transport of passengers in Spain.

At the table

Failed rationing and long queues

Official daily rations were never respected, and people often stood in line for hours only to find that bread and other basic items were sold out.

Music

Women as keepers of oral tradition

Women were the primary custodians of oral musical traditions, singing specialized songs for every life stage, including lullabies, youth courting rounds, weddings, and funeral laments. Professional female mourners were hired to sing at funerals and also went door-to-door on All Souls' Eve to collect money for masses.

Daily life

Child labor and limited schooling access

Poorer girls often worked as domestic servants for as little as one peseta a month plus food, while others stayed home to embroider or care for younger siblings instead of attending school. Schooling was frequently interrupted by teacher changes or seasonal farm work, with some children walking over two hours to attend.

What it cost

Black market prices in 1938

During the scarcity of 1938, officially priced goods were unavailable; a dozen eggs officially cost 17.50 pesetas but sold for 110 on the black market.