Infanta Pilar, Duchess of Badajoz

Infanta Pilar, Duchess of Badajoz, Viscountess of La Torre, sometimes known more simply as Pilar de Borbón, was the elder daughter of Infante Juan, Count of Barcelona and Princess María Mercedes of the Two Sicilies, and older sister of King Juan Carlos I.

One pair of shoes every four years

Under strict rationing during the 1940s, a woman was entitled to only one pair of flat shoes that had to last four years. To cope with this, many turned to resourceful alternatives like making shoes with wooden soles.

Simulating stockings and essential headwear

When stockings became impossible to obtain, women dyed their legs with walnut oil or specialized kits and drew a thin black line on the back of the calf to simulate a seam. Some even wore handmade floral hair nets or turbans, as hats were essential for going out in public.

Instruments for dancing in France

People danced to the accordion, bagpipes, and the vielle, a traditional string instrument played by turning a wheel. Between the wars, the accordion became the dominant instrument for popular dances across France.

Traditional and modern dances

Traditional dances like the bourrée and rigadoon were passed down through generations, while new international styles like the tango, fox trot, and Charleston became widespread favorites during the interwar period. At family gatherings, elders often performed traditional dances while young people watched.

Limited bus service frequencies

In the 1930s, bus services in French provinces were often sparse, frequently offering only one or two daily journeys in each direction.

Railcar improvements cut travel times

Between 1928 and 1939, modernized railcars reduced the journey between St Brieuc and Paimpol from 2 hours 50 minutes to 1 hour 55 minutes.

Traditional food preservation methods

To keep food fresh in homes without modern appliances, families used "garde-manger," which were ventilated cupboards or fine-mesh cages suspended in cool rooms, cellars, or kitchens. Meat was sometimes preserved by covering it in oil or searing it in a pan.

School children's labor and chores

School children performed manual labor for the war effort, such as going to potato fields every Thursday to remove Colorado beetles from the plants. Students also helped clean the local school swimming pool by scrubbing the walls and floor barefoot with brushes.

The grueling life of baker apprentices

Apprentice bakers in the 1930s often lived and slept in the bakery, starting work as early as midnight or 2:00 A.M. and working up to 15 hours a day.

Immigrant labor in French mines

By 1930, immigrants made up 42 percent of the labor force in the French mining industry.

Smuggling letters during occupation

During the occupation, sympathetic post office staff enabled about 100 letters a month to be smuggled from occupied France to London via the Vichy zone.