Selected text
I barely remember our house. We had a sofa [a large area], and three or four rooms. At first we lived with my grandfather. We were crowded. There were midwives at home then for sure. I remember my father and my older sister sobbing in one room when my mother died.
There was running water inside the house. That water was not drinkable. We had gushing spring water close to every neighborhood for drinking water. All of us, the children, we would fill up our earthenware water jugs one by one and carry them home. The ones who had the means, would pay porters two pennies and have the water carried. We started having canisters carried for two pennies later on.
We had a brazier at home. It was small, my father bought a bigger one later on.
Before I went to the military, when I was 15 years old, a stove was bought for the house. As far as refrigerators go, none... very few families had refrigerators. There was no television then. I used to listen to the radios in coffeehouses during those days.
We heard about world news, events, wars this way. Some had radios in their homes, but very few. I followed what was happening in the world from the radio. Only wealthy people took photographs then. We only passed in front of the door of Photo Sureyya [one of the first and best-known photo studios].
There was running water inside the house. That water was not drinkable. We had gushing spring water close to every neighborhood for drinking water. All of us, the children, we would fill up our earthenware water jugs one by one and carry them home. The ones who had the means, would pay porters two pennies and have the water carried. We started having canisters carried for two pennies later on.
We had a brazier at home. It was small, my father bought a bigger one later on.
Before I went to the military, when I was 15 years old, a stove was bought for the house. As far as refrigerators go, none... very few families had refrigerators. There was no television then. I used to listen to the radios in coffeehouses during those days.
We heard about world news, events, wars this way. Some had radios in their homes, but very few. I followed what was happening in the world from the radio. Only wealthy people took photographs then. We only passed in front of the door of Photo Sureyya [one of the first and best-known photo studios].
Period
Location
Beyoğlu/İstanbul
Türkiye
Interview
Nesim Levi