A nação em exposição: a Exposição Nacional de História de 1881, no contexto das exposições universais

Abstract

The proposal of this research is based on the Catalogue of the Exhibition History of Brazil of 1881, which was held by the National Library. We seek to understand this exhibition in the context of the Universal Exhibitions held from the second half of the nineteenth century. In these events were present discourses of scientific and technological progress, nationalism, imperialism and civilization of nations and peoples, as models and projects considered, to countries and peoples classified as "barbaric and secondary". These events spread a culture of exhibitions of various themes in the fields of agricultural production, industry, arts, culture and history. History here is the vertex of this dissertation the History of Brazil Empire is presented not in book formats, of studies, of a bibliographic canon for the creation of a pantheon of national heroes, of arts and more models of representation. Not just one of the aforementioned items, but all of these artifacts that marked the eras of the nation from the colonization venture to the year 1881. It relied on the vast documental typology in the Library's collection, which had never been made public, as well as documents and objects from other institutions: IHGB (Brazilian Historical and Geographical Institute), from the Empire Archives (now National Archives), from the National Museum, from libraries and private collectors from the court and also from other provinces of the Empire. The event was organized by the then director of the institution Dr. Benjamin Franklin Ramiz Galvão, the Baron of Ramiz, and his team of close collaborators, which included names of great relevance already at that time such as Capistrano de Abreu and João Saldanha da Gama, and other employees. Following the perspective that the History Exhibition of 1881 was thought and organized in the scope and influences of the Universal Exhibitions in the 19th Century, the reflection proposed in this work leads us with indications of issues that both the event and its main product, the monumental catalog in 3 volumes, are analyzed under the methodology of historical research with the instrumental of refining the discourses of history, nationality and memory of the nation in the words, gestures, symbols and choices, where we capture the intentions present and what clear objectives were present in the preparation, realization and presentation of the Exhibition of History and Geography of Brazil of 1881 and its catalog.