Maria do Carmo Leao Ponce Dentinho

Music

Youth and Rock and Roll

In the 1950s, urban youth began listening to explosive rock and roll, leading the secret police to post notices in cinemas warning that young people could be happy without being irreverent.

Daily life

Schooling conditions for rural children

Rural schools were often single rooms for four grades with around 40 students and no electricity or bathrooms. Children frequently walked kilometers barefoot to school, sometimes in cold and rain, and were expected to work in fields like adults.

What it cost

Wages for manual workers and maids

In the 1950s, a construction worker or a sardine cannery worker earned about 20 escudos a day, and a maid's monthly salary was between 200 and 400 escudos.

What people wore

Children carried shoes to school

Children often went to school barefoot, carrying their shoes in their hands to ensure they would not wear out.

Getting around

Driving speeds on old national roads

While early car travelers could reach speeds of over 120 km/h, average speeds on Portugal's narrow, winding national roads were often below 30 km/h, with Porto to Lisbon trips typically taking up to five hours.

At the table

Memorable daily habits and simple luxuries

In poorer regions, some families relied on soup made of wine, bread, and sugar, known as 'sopas de cavalo cansado', or began their days in cold climates with a glass of pure brandy called 'mata-bicho'. Staples like yogurt and chocolate spreads were either homemade or considered expensive delicacies, with products like 'Tulicreme' only appearing as a luxury for some families in the late 1960s.