Being modern while rejecting modernism, being traditional while dismissing tradition: a brief study of the Portuguese first seven Pousadas (1942-1948)

Being modern while rejecting modernism, being traditional while dismissing tradition: a brief study of the Portuguese first seven Pousadas (1942-1948)

Bártolo, Carlos

Article:

Any field of history is full of themes, more or less defined and/or immutable. In design history continuity and change had been, more often than not, two of these major themes (Heskett 1980: 7; Raizman 2003: 12), commonly understood as leading opposing poles on the design evolution equation and quite summarized on the dichotomy traditional-modern. Due to almost intrinsic connections between design, industry, technology and, broadly, progress, traditional was repeatedly considered the harmful one. If in Portugal Design was developed during an autocratic ultra-right regime (1933-1974), it’s important to understand how these themes were handled, specially during the first decades when Art assumed a fundamental stand of official moral and socio-politic indoctrination achieved through an assertive propaganda endeavour. The case study chosen for this dichotomous relation analysis is the construction and decorative programs of the first set of Pousadas established during the 1940’s by the regime. Intended as models for the modernization of the national tourism industry, they were also conceived to conform the image of the Portuguese people and nation, as such emerging as a Portuguese home ideal. Acknowledging perceptible differences in each project, this essay aim is to understand where both themes are discerned: how they converge and induced the general concept and its final results; and how these could be viewed as the result of this regime dual, oxymoronic efforts on modernizing an underdeveloped country and simultaneously keeping it lost in a glorified past.

Any field of history is full of themes, more or less defined and/or immutable. In design history continuity and change had been, more often than not, two of these major themes (Heskett 1980: 7; Raizman 2003: 12), commonly understood as leading opposing poles on the design evolution equation and quite summarized on the dichotomy traditional-modern. Due to almost intrinsic connections between design, industry, technology and, broadly, progress, traditional was repeatedly considered the harmful one. If in Portugal Design was developed during an autocratic ultra-right regime (1933-1974), it’s important to understand how these themes were handled, specially during the first decades when Art assumed a fundamental stand of official moral and socio-politic indoctrination achieved through an assertive propaganda endeavour. The case study chosen for this dichotomous relation analysis is the construction and decorative programs of the first set of Pousadas established during the 1940’s by the regime. Intended as models for the modernization of the national tourism industry, they were also conceived to conform the image of the Portuguese people and nation, as such emerging as a Portuguese home ideal. Acknowledging perceptible differences in each project, this essay aim is to understand where both themes are discerned: how they converge and induced the general concept and its final results; and how these could be viewed as the result of this regime dual, oxymoronic efforts on modernizing an underdeveloped country and simultaneously keeping it lost in a glorified past.

Palavras-chave:

DOI: 10.5151/despro-icdhs2014-0025

Referências bibliográficas

• [1] Acciaiuoli, M. (1991). [PhD thesis] Os anos 40 em Portugal. Lisboa: FCSH-UNL
• [2] Azevedo, R. (1962). [Letter]. 1962-10-30. Dando cumprimento ao... [Manuscript]. Acessible at IHRU/SIPA, Lisboa. PT-DGEMN archiv, DSARH-011/026-0162/03, pp. 223-226.
• [3] Carvalho, J.L.B. (1941). [Report]. 1941-08. A exigüidade da verba... [Manuscript]. Acessible at IAN/TT, Lisboa. SNI archiv, cx-1103, PT-TT-SNI/DGT/I/1/1.
• [4] Decálogo do Estado Novo (1934). Lisboa: SPN.
• [5] Ferro, A. (1932). Política do Espírito. Diário de Notícias. Lisboa. (21 Nov 1932). p. 1
• [6] ____ (1933). Salazar. Lisboa: ENP.
• [7] ____ (1949). Turismo. Lisboa: SNI.
• [8] Griffin, R. (2007). Modernism and Fascism. Hampshire: Palgrave Macmillan.
• [9] Heskett, J. (980). Industrial Design. London Thames and Hudson
• [10] Melo, D. (2001). Salazarismo e Cultura Popular (1933-1958). Lisboa: ICS.
• [11] Raizman, D. (2003). History of Modern Design. London: Laurence King
• [12] Rivero, Á. (2010). Salazar and Charismatic Leadership [Electronic]. Acessible at WWW: ‘Andlt;url:http://www.lse.ac.uk/researchAndExpertise/units/ASEN/Conference/PastConferences/2010/conferencepapers2010/Angel_Rivero.pdf’ [20 Mar 2012]
• [13] Rosas, F. (1989). A crise do Liberalismo e [...]. Penélope, Fazer e Desfazer a História. no. 2, Feb. 1989, pp.98-114.

Como citar:

Carlos Bártolo; "Being modern while rejecting modernism, being traditional while dismissing tradition: a brief study of the Portuguese first seven Pousadas (1942-1948)", p-213-218. In: Tradition, Transition, Tragectories: major or minor influences? [=ICDHS 2014 - 9th Conference of the International Committee for Design History and Design Studies]. São Paulo: Blucher, 2014.
ISSN 23186968, DOI 10.5151/despro-icdhs2014-0025