Dear colleagues,
Is there a tradition of rail passengers wearing protective clothing?
I have turned up two Brazilian novels from the 1890s which mention a
protective garment worn by passengers in the late 19th century.
It was known as a/ guarda-pô/, which in literal translation means/ dust
cover/.
I understand that this was a large white cotton cape worn over normal
clothes.
I assume it was to protect from dust as well as sparks since many of the
locos burnt wood as well as cheap coal. In the tropical climate the
windows would often remain open during the journeys.
I further assume that this garment was used by the middle and upper
classes.
My question is, whether any other countries had this style of travel
wear in use?
Martin Cooper
IRS&TH, York
[log in to unmask]
______________________________________________________________________
This email has been scanned by the MessageLabs Email Security System.
For more information please visit http://www.messagelabs.com/email
______________________________________________________________________
|