It was on January 20, 1932 that the Rivoli opened its doors for the first time on the same site as the National Theatre. Designed by architect José Júlio de Brito, the new theater was built by businessman Manuel José Pires Fernandes and was considered by the press to be “the last word in modernism, comfort and good taste”. According to Jornal de Notícias, Porto would finally have “its great popular theater”, which could, “at very low prices, give good shows to everyone”.

Companhia Rey Colaço - Robles Monteiro, from Lisbon, inaugurated the theater with the play Peraltas e Sécias. At that time, the prices ranged from 60 escudos for the Boxes and Front Boxes to four escudos for the General Audience.

The ticket machine that we present in this edition of Portografia, to mark the 93rd anniversary of the Rivoli, is no longer from that time and holds memories of the city's cultural effervescence during the 20th century. This little relic carried the tickets for countless shows on its rolls, the last ones we see marked cost between 175 and 210 escudos. As well as issuing tickets, this object 'materialized' on paper the dreams and moments that many spectators like to preserve even after the show has ended.