Juan María Urdangarin Berriochoa

What people wore

Painted Stocking Seams

Women who could not afford real stockings sometimes painted a line down the back of their legs with eyeliner to simulate a seam.

Getting around

Moving livestock by train across Spain

Transhumant shepherds moved thousands of sheep by train between Babia and Cáceres, a 430-kilometer journey that took two days by rail, whereas moving them on foot would take much longer.

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

Cooking oil prices in 1938

In 1938, a liter of cooking oil with an official price of 3 pesetas could reach 100 pesetas on the black market.