From Carioca to Guandu (Part 1)

Museu Histórico Nacional - MHN makes this exhibition available to the public on a theme that has afflicted residents of the city of Rio de Janeiro since the beginning of the 18th century and continues to be a more than current issue: water supply in Rio de Janeiro.

“the complaints about the lack of water continue (...). In some houses on Senador Dantas street there has also been a shortage of the precious liquid.
If this happens, now in winter, imagine what awaits us for the calm season.” (GAZETA DE NOTÍCIAS (RJ) - 1880 to 1889. Rio de Janeiro: edition 176, p.1, June 25, 1889.)

“Mr. Rodrigo Silva is finding himself seriously confused. When he thinks he is free of the rock issue, he stumbles over the water issue, which is not good at all!" (REVISTA ILLUSTRADA (RJ) 1876 to 1894. Rio de Janeiro, edition 539, p.1, March 09, 1889.)

Given the diversity of our collection, we highlight some images from three albums that make up some of the collections in the MHN Historical Archive. First, the album “Obras de Canalização Provisória do Rio S. Pedro - 1889”, from the Iconographic Albums Collection, with photos by Marc Ferrez (1843-1923), photographer who documented major transformations in the city of Rio de Janeiro, in the field of architecture , urbanism and engineering.

The other two albums, “Abastecimento D'Água do Rio de Janeiro”, composed of phototypes, with images by Marc Ferrez, and “Abastecimento D'Água – Obras executadas de 1907 a 1909”, are part of the Miguel Calmon Collection.

Miguel Calmon du Pin Almeida (1879-1935) was responsible for important works in Brazil and also distinguished himself in politics, having been Minister of State during the First Republic (1889-1930) and senator elected by Bahia until the Revolution of 1930.
For more information about the MHN Historical Archive collections, access our Digital Library through the website http://www.docpro.com.br/mhn/bibliotecadigital.html

Section of Rio Carioca, in Cosme Velho/RJ, where it runs in the open.

In 1673, during the government of João da Silva e Souza, work began on adduction of water from the Rio Carioca, but the so-called Arcos Velhos da Carioca, made of wood, would only be completed at the beginning of the following century. In 1723, under the government of Aires Saldanha, the crystalline water was taken to the Carioca fountain. The government of Gomes Freire de Andrade carried out major reforms to the aqueduct which, inaugurated in 1750, still retains the features of that time.

“... there is an engine powered by horses; its construction is similar to a waterwheel, and it raises, to a height of a hundred feet, a quantity of water that is distributed to several fountains, passing through several gardens. Not far from there, there is a large aqueduct worthy of the traveller's attention: it consists of eighty arches, in two series of some forty feet each, and makes a beautiful impression seen from the bay, rising majestically above the tallest buildings. of this neighborhood of the city."

The aqueduct was built to transport water over a floodplain from a plentiful spring in a nearby hill. I think it would have been a lot less expensive if it had been done by pipes; but actually, money is a minor issue in this country, where gold is so abundant and labor so cheap."

"With this aqueduct, the inhabitants are fully supplied with water, as are the numerous merchant fleets that frequent this port to trade and restore forces." (O’NEIL, Thomas, 1808 - he was in the English squadron that accompanied the flight of the kings from Portugal to Brazil).

With the move of the Portuguese court to Rio de Janeiro and the consequent increase in population, water became scarce, forcing the authorities to look for other sources. If, until then, the Corcovado slope of Maciço da Tijuca was the most used, from the beginning of the 19th century, the rivers of the Tijuca slope would also bring water to several new fountains and spouts that were installed in the city.

The first river from this slope to be used was the Comprido river, which supplied the Santana, Catumbi and Lagarto fountains. Later, the waters of the Maracanã River also supplied these fountains.

The Santana Fountain was also known by the nickname Washerwomen Fountain. There, several women met and, to the sound of work songs, soaped, beat and put on the costumers' clothes to dry.

“Despite the large amount of water that the Carioca source used to supply the city, the arrival of many thousands of people, and the prodigious extension that has increased, will make that abundance insufficient. The Paternal Heart of His Majesty, sensitive to destitution, which his faithful Vassalos will suffer, immediately projected to pour into this city the good water of the Maracanã River, which flows in the Andaraí farm, taking it two leagues away (...) and so, within 5 months, he had the pleasure of putting a 10-spout fountain in Campo de Santana, which ran on May 13 of the following year.” (GAZETA DO RIO DE JANEIRO (RJ) 1809 to 1822. Rio de Janeiro, edition 51, p.1, 27 jun. 1818).

Over time, other rivers on the Tijuca slope were incorporated into the city's supply: the São João, the Trapicheiro, the Andaraí (or Joana) and also the streams of Cascatinha, Gávea Pequena, Hotel Aurora, A. Taylor, Caranguejo, Soberbo, Morcego, Amaral and Machado.

This increase in water came to enable some houses and public buildings to start receiving running water, a modality that made the vital liquid a commodity.

This good, so fundamental to life, was no longer free, but definitively incorporated into the economy. Public institutions and people with greater purchasing power, as a consequence, were the pioneers in having tap water at home.