The focus of this article is a familiar but most easily overlooked decorative equipment-blinds. Before getting to know the various blinds I saw while riding around Sao Paulo, here is some historical background.

According to multiple websites, shutters first appeared in ancient Greece; they were made of marble with immovable shutters. The shutters allow air to flow into the house, and at the same time relieve insects and the hot Mediterranean sun.

Over time, wood replaced marble as the material of choice for exterior shutters. Then movable shutters became commonplace. In medieval Europe-before windows were glass-wooden shutters provided safety, privacy and insulation, especially in cold climates. Glass windows were introduced in the late 1400s, but the cost limited their use for hundreds of years.

The Spaniards imported blinds into the Americas as we know them in the 1800s. By the middle of the 19th century, American ancient houses (Gothic Revival and Italian style) often used dark colors-forest green, brown and black-shutters. The choice of color is mainly aesthetic. When opened, the shutters and matching window sashes present a consistent appearance. When the window is closed, it will give passers-by the impression that the window is darkened. In the late 1800s, the variety of shutter colors expanded to include several earth tones.

Blinds remained popular for most of the first half of the 1900s, although in most cases, at least in the Midwest, the use of blinds changed from functional to decorative. In the decades of the late 20th century, other materials—vinyl, aluminum, fiberglass, and more recently, wood-plastic composites—started to replace wood for shutter structures.

There are more houses with shutters than I expected. Shutters more frequently decorate houses of certain architectural styles, such as Cape Cod, Dutch Colony, and Rambler (also known as pasture). Of course, this statement is based on my random, unscientific observations. Starting and ending every ride in the southwest corner of São Paulo means that I most often ride through Highland Park and McAlester-Groveland, while going to Haywood and the East End is much less frequent. I have organized the photos of the shutters by block. Therefore, after completing the history class and background knowledge, let us experience the shutters of São Paulo.

Click any picture to enlarge it.

As you can see, even for a small sample here, the shutters in the town have a variety of charming styles and prosperity. I will continue to look for other people when I ride. The first one, but maybe not the last one, the shutter sampler is over.

Since 1986, Wolfie Browender and his wife Sue have lived in São Paulo. He is proud to live in the Capitol in Minnesota. Wolfie is a native of Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Wolfie is the father of two adult daughters. For entertainment and exercise, he rides a bicycle. You can follow his travels in São Paulo on the blog Saint Paul By Bike-Every Block of Every Street at http://saintpaulbybike.com.