Lecture reveals the origins of photography in ES in the 19th century

Free event offers analysis of the largest nineteenth-century photographic collection in ES and takes place next Tuesday (9), at 6pm, at Ufes

By Mariah Friedrich

The history of photography in Espírito Santo and the production and consumption practices of photographic records in the State can be learned in depth through an unprecedented lecture on the largest collection of photographs from the 19th century in ES. Next Tuesday (9), photographer and photography conservator Paulo de Barros will discuss these processes in the lecture “Carte de Visit: Origins of Photography in Espírito Santo”, at 6pm at the UFES Library.

The event has free entry and is the result of the project “Photography of the 19th Century in Espírito Santo: Digitization of the Collection of Visit Cards of the Solar Monjardim Museum”, which consisted of the digitization of more than two hundred photographs in business card format, produced between 1860 and 1890 by some of the first photographers who established themselves in the State and also photographers working in other capitals and abroad.

Known for his work curating photographic exhibitions, Paulo de Barros highlighted that these photographs are a unique window into the past, allowing viewers a detailed view of the universe of photography in Espírito Santo.

“Espírito Santo has little photographic material from the 19th century, so this collection is the largest volume of photographs from this period in the State, bringing together more than 200 carte de viver, a format that emerged in France and popularized the portrait worldwide, bringing a radical change in the way of relating to the portrait.”, explains Paulo.

The photographer and photograph conservator reported that the carte de viver was a type of small rectangular photograph pasted on a card, which allowed people to exchange portraits in an accessible way.

This democratized the portrait, allowing people from social classes with lower purchasing power to have access, transforming the way people related to images of themselves.

“This phenomenon also gained proportions in the state, where the first photographers produced carte de viver. The museum’s collection also features portraits of photographers from Rio and abroad, offering a kaleidoscope of the world of photography”, commented Paulo de Barros.

According to him, later this year, this collection of more than 200 photographs from the 19th century will be available for exploration in an unprecedented exhibition at the Solar Monjardim Museum, located in the Jucutuquara neighborhood, in Vitória.

Service:

Carte de Visto Lecture – Origins of photography in Espírito Santo: Minister Paulo de Barros
Tuesday (9), from 6pm to 8:30pm
Nazian Azevedo de Moraes Multimedia Room – UFES Central Library: Avenida Fernando Ferrari, 514, Goiabeiras University Campus, Vitória
Free entrance