Past times

I watched “The Bicycle Thief” on DVD last night.  My partner Netflixed it for us.  I am also currently reading a novel called “The Known World”.  Together these events have caused me to train my musings on life in “past times.”

 

 

Filmed in Rome in 1949 “The Bicycle Thief” is a commentary on poverty and its effects in post WWI Italy.   Of course its a very sad story, but what also impressed me with the film was the spartan existence that was led within the confines of a city which one associates with the finest in culture and history.  Families lived with nothing more than a few pieces of furniture, electric lights, a stove and nothing more.  Not even running water.   The men all wore suits, even though they must have been one of their few articles of clothing.  

The novel, “The Known World”, follows the lives of several generations of free black families in one articular county of antebellum Virginia.  The stories are interesting in their own right, but what strikes me most is again the spartaness of life back then, between about 1840 and 1880.   This county was untouched by railroads up to the Civil War.  As far as one could ride a horse all day was a very long way.  People occupied their time by working, or pastimes that involved very little other than themselves and their own imagination.  The bible was read because it was often the only book available in a family.  Slaves of course were not taught to read and so even bible reading was not possible.  Just singing, telling stories,  whittling,  walking, or chores.   Even the wealthy free people had few options.  It was a very long trip to Richmond which is the nearest city where one could go to a play or opera production.  Something akin to having to travel from San Francisco to Los Angeles probably.  Certainly an overnight journey.  And one would not be able to make any reservations ahead of time, as this was before the telephone.  One would have to send a messenger in to Richmond perhaps.   The phonograph was not yet invented, so the only music was live performance, or perhaps a player piano or music box.  The wealthy could afford more books.  And could also afford lamps rather than candles, which would provide more light indoors at night.