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The World We Have Lost
...Sarah Bernhardt [renowned French actress] in 1886...soon shocked [Brazilian] society with her daring swimsuit and alarmed the city's inhabitants by entering the water....At the time, Brazilians had believed a quick dip in the sea had some medical efficacy, but only around dawn before the sun became too strong and only if prescribed by a doctor. The elite cultivated their whiteness to set themselves apart from the darker-skinned lower classes To actually sit in the sun was considered declasse and a serious breach of social decorum.
...In 1917 the city established strict regulations to govern seaside conduct. Bathing in the sea was allowed only from five to eight in the morning and from five to seven in the evvening...the law permitted an extra hour on Sundays and holidays...Noise and shouting on the beach, or bathing during prohibited hours, brought a stiff fine or five days in jail.
That is from Colin MacLachlan, A History of Modern Brazil: The Past Against the Future.
Posted by Tyler Cowen on December 24, 2006 at 05:21 AM in History | Permalink
Comments
"The elite cultivated their whiteness to set themselves apart from the darker-skinned lower classes."
Hollywood actresses are now largely back to this degree of sun-avoidance.
Posted by: Steve Sailer at Dec 24, 2006 2:52:19 PM
the more things change the ...............
Posted by: sa at Dec 25, 2006 6:05:44 AM
Hollywood actresses are now largely back to this degree of sun-avoidance.
As are most women who are aware that sun exposure plays the biggest factor in skin aging.
Posted by: GH at Dec 25, 2006 10:29:32 PM
There was a comment in an article in The New Republic in the early-mid 90's. Tthe write was noticing that the outdoor seating areas in restaurants were mostly covered by awnings. He asked around, and was told that the side effects of the current generation of anti-depressants included increased skin sensitivity to the sun.
Posted by: Barry at Dec 26, 2006 8:36:37 AM
