En tranvía: Nineteenth-Century Representations of Collective Transportation in Madrid

Abstract

Inaugurated in 1871, the Salamanca-Sol-Pozas tram line was the first form of systematized collective transportation in Madrid. This essay examines the representation of the streetcar experience in literary sketches published in the Spanish press in the late nineteenth century. Bringing together passengers from very different classes and walks of life, the tram was one of the most heterogeneous spaces in the city. The works discussed in this essay explore the odd encounters and awkward dynamics of this new social space. The analysis that follows addresses three types of texts: (1) urban chronicles, which capture the variety and interactions of the streetcar; (2) impressionistic sketches, which evoke the aesthetic effects produced by its arbitrary juxtapositions; and (3) empathetic vignettes, which isolate individual passengers and encourage compassionate responses.