Indigenous representation by E. Thiesson and Marc Ferrez: historical interpretation of nineteenth-century photography

Abstract

This article aims to contribute to historical reflection in visual and social studies of indigenous peoples of the past. Through historiography, together with the iconography of the Brazilian nineteenth century, we sought to understand the importance of photography as an element of popular culture and its varied functions within the circuit of representation. The relevance of the study involves emphasizing the use of photographs from the past in historical studies and their significant role in the construction of the visual and social imaginary of indigenous peoples. As producers of meaning, they allow us to discuss the place of the other in the process of creation, circulation, and market, and how such identity constructions impacted the history and visual culture of these societies. Based on the selection of two photographs taken by E. Thiesson and Marc Ferrez in the 19th century, we sought to reveal how indigenous representation and the idea of the picturesque, through critical and methodological interpretation, indirect components of these visual narratives, help us to educate our gaze towards visual sources of the past, so that they can be properly historicized.