Given the lively debates involving the nexus of political power and the media (especially with the modern-day advent of social media in politics), the present volume on the press and print culture during the Brazilian Empire (1822–89) is a welcome and timely addition to this discussion. In a relatively short period of time, Brazil went from having no press at all to having a vibrant print culture. This print culture was to have a profound impact on the society and culture of nineteenth-century Brazil, offering the seeds of “order and progress” for the new nation, and culminating in the abolition of slavery there, in 1888.
The 2012 launch of the Hemeroteca Digital Brasileira (bndigital.bn.gov.br), one of the largest online newspaper archives in the world, provided a trove for researchers of nineteenth-century Brazil. The present volume is one such result. It presents a fascinating, collaborative collection of essays from a variety of Brazilian scholars from around the world, who examine a variety of aspects of this emergent print culture.
Kraay, Castilho, and Cribelli lead off the volume with an overview of European print culture and the establishment of the press in Brazil when the Portuguese court moved to Rio, in 1808. Basile provides an analysis of the development of the Brazilian “print arena” from the year of Brazil's independence from Portugal, in 1822, up to 1840, arguing that the idea of the “public sphere” and “political pedagogy” initiated in Brazil during those years.
The next three essays examine the role of slavery and migration in Brazil. El Youssef explores debates about slavery and slave-trading in the 1830s, noting that the press's relationship with these topics has been largely overlooked or misunderstood in scholarship on slavery. In a related way, Godoi describes the role of the enslaved in the production and consumption of Brazilian newspapers, showing how enslaved and liberated Africans were essential to the production of newspapers, magazines, and books in nineteenth-century Brazil. Pérez Meléndez analyzes the migration flows of colonos (immigrant settlers), looking specifically at migrant recruitment and hiring practices.
The next five essays look at a variety of different sections found in nineteenth-century Brazilian newspapers and periodicals. Souza Maia examines the literary genre of the crônica (a short, fictionalized narrative combined with reporting), noting its popularity in the nineteenth century, which has continued into the present. Nestler and Frank examine the realm of advertising and advertisements, and how these shaped the creation of markets and marketing culture. Pires Junior provides an analysis of satirical cartoons in illustrated magazines, which were influential in the shaping of visual culture. Kraay examines the unique “imperial genre” of provincial correspondence, demonstrating how it contributed to a “sense of belonging” to the new Brazilian nation through partisan political debates. Cribelli examines the publicações a pedido—the “pay to print” system of letters and op-ed articles in the 1870 issues of the influential Rio newspaper Jornal do Commercio, and how these influenced political discussions.
The final two essays are more of a hodgepodge, albeit an interesting one. Saba analyzes the role of nineteenth-century Brazilian citizens who studied and lived in the United States and founded monthly periodicals in Brazil to help modernize agriculture with US technological advancements and shift away from a slave-based economy. Last, Castilho provides a historical overview of the first Black newspaper from Recife, O Homem, founded by the prolific Afro-Brazilian writer Felipe Neri Collaço (1815–94), who challenged Brazilian citizens and political leaders to end slavery and enshrine Black Brazilians as citizens.
Overall, the essays in this collection are well researched, well written, engaging, and enjoyable. Moreover, this book is accessible to a wide variety of readers in many fields: Latin American studies, African diaspora studies, media studies, history, political science, even general readership. A follow-up volume, one that extends beyond the scope of the Brazilian Empire and stretches into the history of early twentieth-century Brazil, would be a welcome sequel to this excellent book.
