Edelmira Sampedro y Robato

Edelmira Ignacia Adriana Sampedro-Ocejo y Robato was known as the Countess of Covadonga after her marriage to Alfonso, former Prince of Asturias, in 1933.

Cost of luxury jewelry

High-quality jewelry sold at shops like El Suizo, featuring materials such as gold, pearls, and precious stones, cost between 0.20 and 80 gold pesos.

Masculine style in the early Republic

During the early Republic, men frequently wore white drill suits paired with straw hats, while the guayabera shirt persisted as a key element of masculine dress.

Home Religious Celebrations and Singing

During religious festivities such as Holy Cross Day, families set up elaborate altars in their homes and invited choruses to sing responsorial songs until midnight, when celebrations transitioned into dancing.

Improvised Instruments for Carnival

For festive carnival parades, musicians sometimes converted everyday metal items like frying pans, iron railings, and automobile tire rims into musical instruments to increase rhythmic volume.

Growth of Motorized Transportation 1902-1913

Automobile transportation began to grow rapidly during this period, with the number of registered motorized vehicles in Cuba rising to over 4,000 by 1913. The first North American car had reached Santiago de Cuba and Havana only in May 1902.

Expanding Electric Railway Networks 1900-1924

By 1924, the Hershey Electric Railway operated a network connecting Havana to Matanzas, including electric passenger service that began in 1922. Travel was often slow and unpredictable, with the Hershey train journey to Matanzas intended to take three or four hours.

High cost of imported butter

In 1907, butter was sold for 50 cents a pound, while native Cubans rarely used it, preferring imported butter or none at all.

Limited indoor plumbing in homes

In Havana and Matanzas around the turn of the century, only about 10 percent of houses had indoor toilets.

Distinctive Cuban bread loaves

Cuban bread was baked in loaves two or three feet long and weighed five or six pounds. Banana stalks were used in fermenting the yeast to give the bread its fine flavor.

Strong home-grown Cuban coffee

Cuban coffee was served black and very strong, with cooks using at least a full teacup of ground coffee for every pint of water. Housewives often picked the beans directly from coffee beds in their own courtyards.

Cart Driver Daily Wages

In the mill town of Chaparra during the early 20th century, a worker hired as a cart driver earned $1.25 per day.

Common Jobs and Hierarchies

Sugar cane cutting was a common, strenuous job, while more desirable, higher-paying roles included mechanics, locomotive drivers, and wagon drivers.

Daily Business Routine and Siestas

Business hours were split by a mandatory afternoon siesta from 12 PM until 1:30 or 2 PM, followed by work until 4 or 5 PM.