Sawyer and Resinmaker

Sawyer and Resinmaker

The Sawyer's job is to cut the wooden trunks and prepare them to then supply them to the carpenter.

The resin collector collects the resin from adult trees, using a process called “bleeding” (photo). For this collection, the resin grower shaves a small area on the tree with an ax, places the spout, the bowl and applies the acid to the scraped area. The pine reacts by “bleeding”, that is, releasing resin. With the container full, use  the spatula to pass the resin into a can, the name given to the general collection container. The resin is used for various purposes: varnishes, glues, gums, perfumes or creams. The resin material displayed here all comes from the Municipality of Soure, Coimbra.

Carpenter – Joiner

Masters in the knowledge of wood, these craftsmen work the raw material for different purposes. The carpenter transforms wood to build roofs, ceilings, floors and stairs. The carpenter specialized in the art of carving – cutting and incising technique using a chisel, burin and chisel, and in the manufacture of furniture. We highlight the importance of both crafts in Portuguese maritime expansion and artistic production, especially between the 16th and 19th centuries.

Highlighted in the exhibition, the master João Veríssimo Gouveia, born in 1890, in the village of Toxofal de Baixo, Municipality of Lourinhã. He was a carpenter, but he also did carpentry and even cooperage work. He was the one who built the workbench on display and some of the tools on display bear his signature.

Cooper

The cooper develops his activity in the manufacture of reservoirs for liquids, such as barrels, barrels, vats, wings, kites and other objects whose key elements are staves (curved board) and metal hoops. As Lourinhã is a predominantly agricultural municipality, local wine producers were the cooper's main customers. Oak was the wood chosen for aging the wine, as it provides an anti-oxidant action and aromatic intensity.    

The instruments on display belonged to José Maria Gomes da Silva. Born in Esmoriz on April 30, 1900, he began working at the age of 14 as a cooper. Later, he headed to the West where he passed through Bombarral, but it was in Lourinhã that he wanted to stay, in 1923. He worked until he was 85 years old, having died on August 30, 1986.

Turner

The turner essentially worked with a lathe, a device for turning wood. Being a very specialized and expensive craft, it was sought after by carpenters and joiners, who did not have the power to acquire turning equipment, therefore resorting to this profession.

Segeiro

The profession of segeiro was essentially linked to the construction and parts of wagons. However, he also dedicated himself to blacksmithing on parts of some agricultural implements, such as plows and hoes.

Among the objects on display, there is one that stands out for its grandeur – the bellows. This instrument has the function of feeding the embers into the forge, which in turn heats the iron so that it can be shaped in the next phase. Another notable object, this one due to its uniqueness, is the livro de registos, where we can check, in detail, not only the service provided but also who requested it.

The segeiro’s collection belonged to “Ti Remexido”, a native of Marteleira, Lourinhã. The disappearance of cattle as draft animals and the search for motorized agricultural machinery led to the extinction of this profession.

However, the term segeiro is little known in Lourinhã, with blacksmith being the most common. Alberto Remexido, or as he was affectionately called “Ti Remexido”, lived in Casais do Araújo- Marteleira, and had his workshop there. Out of curiosity, it is well known that in all the villages that had blacksmiths, they always set up shop at the entrance to the village. With “Ti Remexido” the situation is the same, Casais do Araújo is located at the entrance to Marteleira and next to the Lourinhã- Torres Vedras path.

Potter

The potter is the artisan who works the clay and transforms it into the most varied pieces for different needs. Although there were very few masters in the art of molding clay in the Municipality of Lourinhã, this activity was important in the production of utilitarian ceramics, such as clay jars and bowls. The garden watering can and the smoker stand out in the exhibition.

The pottery pieces on display at the Museum are by António Ferreira Gouveia, born in Toxofal de Baixo, on March 25, 1857. He worked as a potter initially in Toxofal and, later, in Sobral, where he would reside after getting married. . He started working at a young age and only finished his career at an advanced age. He died on March 12, 1948 at the age of 91.

Ceramics

The Fábrica da Cerâmica da Ventosa, A Balsa, located in the parish of Santa Bárbara, municipality of Lourinhã, was founded in the 1920s. XX. The main production with red clay was brick and tiles for civil construction, as evidenced by the molds on display. It was in production until the end of the century. XX. Today, there is only the chimney, protected by law.

Contruction site

The construction site carved the stones, not only for the stonework and thresholds of the houses, but also made sinks for animals, mill stones, among others.

The Cesaredas plateau, a limestone structure throughout the North of Lourinhã, supplied the raw material.

The typical houses of most of the Western region, with their stonework and thresholds in bushhammered limestone (a finishing technique with small uniform perforations on the surface of the stone), kept the various flowerbeds in activity.

It was the mechanization of tools, with the evolution of the stone industry, that changed the construction site's work, replacing practically all the work it did by hand with electric machines.

apothecary

In the past, Pharmacy was called Botica. It was here that the various drugs and medicines were prepared and stored, as well as the production of ointments, wafers (pill precursors) and suppositories.

The collection features a cabinet from the old apothecary with some curious pieces, such as syringes and objects for their sterilization; at table one mostímetro used to measure the wine's degree, a job that was the responsibility of the apothecary that farmers in the region regularly resorted to; still on the table, a molde to make suppositories.

The objects in this collection were donated by Farmácia Quintans.

Shoemaker

Shoemaking is one of the oldest professions still present in society. For a long time, he was the one who made shoes, but as times changed and the shoe industry developed, the shoemaker no longer had the role of manufacturing shoes, remaining only as a repairman in small workshops. This bench, with the instruments, was used by Ti Luís “Shoemaker” until his renovation.

Tailor

O ofício de alfaiate era exercido, exclusivamente, por homens e a sua função consistia na execução de peças de vestuário masculino por medida. Embora, atualmente, extinto no Concelho da Lourinhã devido ao aparecimento dos pronto a vestir, em 1931, no Anuário Comercial de Portugal, contavam-se cerca de quatro alfaiates em atividade. Destacam-se, na exposição, a máquina de costura “Singer”, um ferro de engomar, uma tábua de manga, um brunidor que servia para assentar as costuras e ainda dois casacos entretelados e alinhavados.

Barber

A barber's main job is to cut hair, shave or trim a beard. It was common for barbershops to be reserved for men. It was also barbers who were used for some minor surgeries, such as pulling teeth. They worked on Sundays to ensure the image on mass day.

The barber exhibition focuses on the chair of Mr. Bernardino Anastácio, a barber for 62 years in Lourinhã.

Washer, Seamstress and Ironer

These three activities were carried out exclusively by women, with the Lavadeira being recognized in the film “A Aldeia da Roupa Branca”, by Chianca de Garcia, with actress Beatriz Costa.

Common places for washing clothes could be, in the river current, in public washhouses (commonly called “women's court”) or in the selha – a wooden container shaped like a vase.

The river that flows through Lourinhã is the Rio Grande and washing was carried out on its lower banks. One of the sites would be next to the bridge that goes to Bombarral. The public washhouse was located in Largo Anacleto Marques da Silva.

The washerwoman's work became extinct with the popularization of washing machines, however the work of the ironer and seamstress still remains, albeit with the natural evolution of work instruments.

Photographer

The first recognized photograph is an image produced in 1827, by Joseph-Nicéphore Niépce, on a tin plate covered with a petroleum derivative called Judean bitumen.

 The camera with tripod, on display, is a Gundlach-Manhattan Optical Co. Criterion View Camera. It consists of a cherry wood main body, leather concertina and rack and pinion focusing system. Lenses with 3 prescriptions. Uses emulsion plates – 5×7; 6.5×8.5; 8×10.

At Lourinhã, the first photographer was Mr. Manuel Lourenço Luz and many of the photographs on display are by him.

Pyrolitos

Pyrolites are bottles with a cylindrical body, demarcated by a strangled conical neck with a sphere inside and containing carbonated orangeade.

The machine on display had the function of closing the bottle, this being the final process. After filling, the arm where the bottle fits underwent a dynamic rotation, causing the carbon dioxide to strongly press the glass sphere against the rubber washer located in the neck of the bottle.

The objects in this exhibition, already classified as industrial archaeology, refer to the old “Balá” pyrolite and soft drink factory. The first soft drink factory belonged to Mr. Sabino José Maria (Pina) and later to Mr. José Maria de Carvalho. In the 1934 Commercial Annuary, there is reference to the Carvalho e Rocha, José Sabino Pereira Pina and Sabino José Maria soft drink factory. Its location was on Rua João Luís de Moura.

This drink was a delight for the little ones when, using broken bottles, they found marbles to play. This was in the 40s, 50s and 60s (20th century).

In 1961, legislation was introduced prohibiting the sale of pyrolites, based on the reason that the design of the bottle did not guarantee its effectiveness in cleaning and disinfection, making its use harmful to health.

Grinder

A principal função dos amoladores, e na qual se destacavam como mestres, era afiar facas e tesouras, arranjar guarda-chuvas e colocar “gatos” (espécie de agrafos) em loiça partida. Além desta atividade a maioria dos amoladores tornou-se taberneiro.

The main working instrument was the sharpening wheel, made up of a trapeze structure, where the wheel and grinding stone are incorporated, with the particularity of being able to be transported like a wheelbarrow. However, it was also accompanied by the whistle or harmonica, which served to attract and call people to the various jobs.  

O mestre Sr. Garcia, natural da Galiza, Espanha, fixou-se na Lourinhã em 1955, executando a atividade de amolador. Mais tarde, abriu uma taberna na antiga praça, que era conhecida como a “Taberna do Espanhol”.

Goldsmith

This is an activity that, initially, worked with silver and were called silversmiths. With the abundance of gold and silver during the reigns of D. Manuel I and D. João V, new trades emerged; some with the specialty of farmers and others with the specialty of jewelers and lapidaries. (Joel Serrão, Dictionary of History of Portugal, 1963)

According to the community of Lourinhã, the goldsmiths came by train via the Oeste line, coming from the Tocha, Mira and Febres area, in the Centro area, and traveled to fairs and markets by bicycle with the traditional green box that contained watches, gold and glasses, these had a particularity, they were of various degrees to be shown to the potential buyer who tried them on one by one, until one fit him.

Even today, in Lourinhã, if you ask established goldsmiths what their ancestors' lives were like as goldsmiths, you will see that they tell fantastic stories about this profession.

Petrolino

The function of the Petrolino was to travel through the villages of the Municipality in “rounds”, as the route was called, consisting of the permit, cart, the male, reservoirs, liquids and products in warehouses or carriage house, to sell olive oil and oil, as well as soap and brandy.

The oil originated from BP-Britum Petróleo and the Vacuumm, and the olive oil came from Castelo Branco.

This activity was transmitted to Mr. José Mateus da Lourinhã by Mr. Veríssimo de Poiares – Coimbra.

Out of curiosity, petrolino was nicknamed “pitrólino” due to the local phonetic expression of “pitróile”. The objective for purchasing petroleum in minimum quantities was to illuminate houses using petroleum lamps.

The extinction of this activity in the 70s of the century. XX, is due to the implementation of the electricity network in the area and the sale of bottled olive oil in local grocery stores.

Harness

The harness was the one who cut (harnessed) the donkeys and mule cattle. From the middle of the belly upwards, he trimmed the manes and tails and sometimes made patterns on the animal's rump with scissors (as shown in the photograph).

The mechanical shearing scissors, on display, were designed by Mr. Luís “Anastácio”, from Seixal, Lourinhã.

Courier

The saddler's main job was to make harnesses for the males and mules (muar cattle), as there were few horses in this location. Harnesses were made according to people's needs and purchasing power. The work was manual, with the exception of work on the sewing machine.

In addition to the harnesses, he also made straps, bridles, the halter, the yoke, the saddle and the saddle; the reins and the hutch.

All the work of the leatherworker had its maximum symbol in September and October, during the Círios. The males, in these religious festivals of pilgrimage to sanctuaries, were all dressed up, each trying to wear the best harness possible.

We highlight the masters Mr. Francisco Alves, Mr. Ambrósio Prazeres de Andrade and Mr. Victor Prazeres de Andrade.

Coffee

A center for people to meet, especially at night, one of the first cafes in Lourinhã was called O Arcádia and, later, Café Nicola - still in operation today.

Here they played dominoes and “bisca”, heard the BBC news during the Second World War through the voice of Fernando Pessa and later the first television broadcasts. The transistor on display was the first public radio in Lourinhã located at Café Nicola.

Band

Lourinhã is proud to have a long and acclaimed musical tradition. Currently having three musical bands, the oldest stands out – the Banda da Lourinhã of the Associação Artística Musical da Lourinhã, founded on January 2, 1878 under the name Filarmónica Lourinhanense, its founder being Maestro Mr. Anacleto Marcos da Silva.

The Philharmonic Band of Sociedade Lírica Moitense, from Moita dos Ferreiros, founded on August 9, 1925, also has its banner on display here. The most recent is AMA- Associação Musical da Atalaia, founded in 1986, registered since 2007.

Firefighter

The Lourinhã Volunteer Firefighters Association was founded in 1928, following the movement created at the end of the century. XIX, by groups of citizens with a high interest in the civil protection of people and goods.

They began to organize themselves into associations based on volunteering, which they still maintain today, non-profit and serving the community. The “Magirus” pump was on display, used by the Lourinhã Volunteer Firefighters.

Sport

In sport, we highlight the Associação Sporting Clube Lourinhanense, founded on March 26, 1926.

Alpaca mango

Manga de Alpaca was the name given to a public or administrative employee. This reference is due to a protection that was placed over the sleeves of the coat, between the wrists and the elbow, so as not to get dirty with the ink from the ink cartridge. They were made from alpaca fiber and merino wool, which is why they became known by this name.

School

During the Estado Novo (1933-1974), primary schools were built across the country, not only with the aim of increasing the population's literacy, but above all, forming a national consciousness based on the ideals of the regime. During this period, classes were separated into boys and girls. They learned to write and do math on slate and the reading method was based on João de Deus's Maternal Booklet.

Metrology

Weights and measures in Portugal originated, as many of their names demonstrate, in the Roman and Arab measurements that were used in ancient Lusitanea, before the founding of the monarchy (in 1143).

The need to create an ideal system for commercial exchanges was not always achieved. Divergence in local customs led to conflicts between villages and landowners took the liberty of changing the value of measurements, constituting an obstacle to the development of trade.

It is in successive courts that attempts are made to stipulate and standardize measures for the entire kingdom. With the Ordenações Afonsinas (D. Afonso V – 1446) it was intended not only to stipulate measurements but also to impose fines for forgeries. With D.Sebastião (1575) new standards were introduced for volume units – bushel for dry goods, almude for liquids. In 1816, D. João VI imposed new measurement standards: hand for length, canada for volume and pound for weight, and the previous measurements were abolished.

In 1875, Portugal participated in the signing of the “Metro Convention”.

The measures on display belonged to the Lourinhã City Council.

Agriculture

The traits of a community, based on uses and customs transmitted over generations, reveal the testimony of a collective heritage of a given place. In the Municipality of Lourinhã the agriculture It has been, from the Middle Ages to the present, the main economic and social activity, followed by fishing and both are the cultural matrix that we know today.

Revestido de parcelas agrícolas que desenham todo o território e vincam nele uma comunidade de forte cariz tradicional, a riqueza dos solos é aproveitada não só para a produção de cereais, leguminosas e frutícolas, como também se destaca na produção vitivinícola. As atividades agrícolas foram, até aos finais dos anos 60, executadas com o auxílio de alfaias e instrumentos oriundos de um sistema rural muito baseado em processos tradicionais e hoje são parte integrante da memória coletiva no nosso património cultural.

Wine Production in Lourinhã

Lourinhã is located in a region where the proximity to the sea and the characteristics of the soil allow for the production of low-alcohol wines, such as light wines and, particularly, the production of wine spirits, whose qualities have been recognized since the mid-1990s. last century.

Until the third quarter of the 20th century, in the Municipality of Lourinhã, wine-growing culture with significant economic impact predominated, which is why the Adega Cooperativa da Lourinhã was founded on May 1, 1957, the date of approval of the statutes, being confirmed by a license in the June 6th of the same year. 

Later, by Decree-Law of 34/92 of March 7, the Demarcated Region of Aguardente Vínica da Lourinhã was created with the Denomination of Controlled Origin – DOC. It is the first and only demarcated region in the country for the production of excellent quality spirits and one of three in Europe, along with France with the well-known Armagnac and Cognac spirits.