O Bonde Paulistano

In this video, I talk a little about the history of streetcars in Brazil and the world, but specifically about their almost century-long presence in the city of São Paulo. They debuted in 1872, pulled by donkeys, when the city had just over 30,000 inhabitants and was beginning to accelerate its urbanization process. In 1900, the Canadian company The São Paulo Tramway, Light & Power Company began operating them in an electric version, as a sign of modernity and progress to serve the 240,000 residents of the capital. They reached their peak in the 1930s and 40s and, after World War II, began their decline until their demise in 1968. The beloved São Paulo streetcar... see these and other curiosities!