What Brazil’s 19th-century rubber crash could teach today’s oil drillers
Two Brazilian booms bookmark the history of the car
One of the mysteries of the Amazonas theatre concerns courtesans. Legend has it that in the 19th century the corridors under this great pink opera house in the rainforest were used to smuggle in sex workers during performances, to liven up “The Magic Flute” for rubber barons in their private boxes.
This article appeared in the Christmas Specials section of the print edition under the headline “The two Brazilian booms that bookmark the history of the car”
Christmas Specials December 24th 2022
- In a corner of Java live the Amish of Indonesia
- Should we care about people who need never exist?
- What Brazil’s 19th-century rubber crash could teach today’s oil drillers
- How food affects the mind, as well as the body
- What makes certain dogs popular in certain countries
- The great inflation of the 1500s is echoing eerily today
- The decline of the city grid
- Why cricket and America are made for each other
From the December 24th 2022 edition
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