Image Citation: Carneiro
27
landes_photo_brazil_91-4_0378, Brazil: Bahian blacks and candomblé [2
of 3], Box 62, Ruth Landes
Papers, National Anthropological Archives, Smithsonian Institution
Without knowing it, I arrived in Bahia to do my research in the centennial year of Edison Carneiro! It also happens to be the centennial of the famous novelist, Jorge Amado, who certainly left a bigger imprint on Bahia and has occupied public exhibitions, conversations and celebrations in Salvador much more than Carneiro. However, there is a Lecture Series on Carneiro this week at the Public Library and Cláudio Pereiro, the professor from CEAO who has been helping me with my research, is giving a speech. Also, Carneiro's biographers and one of his old (very old) colleagues will be there to speak about him (I've been trying to get an interview with him, Waldir Freitas de Oliveira, for over a year now but because of his health and age I've been discouraged). At the end of the lecture there's going to be a debate section, so hopefully I can participate a little myself. This is a great opportunity for me to learn more about how he is remembered and celebrated by the Bahian people (which as of now appears to be much more than I expected!).
Following is the Program for the series "In Memory of Edison Carneiro" that will be taking place this week in Bahia (everything is in Portuguese, of course)
http://www.mrquerino.blogspot.com.br/
http://www.ighb.org.br/noticias/iv-curso-manuel-querino-personalidades-negras/
Also, the "Virtual Library" 2 de Julho did an Exposition on Carneiro, which shows his work in Bahia. There are some nice photos and videos if you want to take a look:
http://www.bv2dejulho.ba.gov.br/portal/index.php/exposicoes-virtuais.html
In other exciting news...
When I was at CEAO the other day I was "coincidently" invited to participate in a small meeting that was about to happen regarding an exposition of the Ruth Landes' photos at the terreiro (religious site of candomblé), Gantois. Apparently the mãe de santo (leader) of the terreiro saw Ruth's photos last year and fell in love with them, especially because in one photo she saw herself at 10 years old with the former mãe de santo. Now a partnership has been formed between CEAO, the Museum Carlos Costa Pinto and the terreiro Gantois to create an event exhibiting the photos and discussing Landes in the terreiro this coming November! I'm very excited to at least be a little part of it, and once again I am dumbfounded by how much action there is in this subject here in Bahia! I don't know if it's always like this or if it's the right place at the right time...
To see more of Landes' photos, you can go to the Afro-Digital museum which is currently being worked on by the Federal Universities in Brazil. There's currently a project to repatriate the photos that Landes took in Brazil, which are currently held at the Smithsonian Museum, and make them accessible to Brazilian institutions.
http://www.museuafrodigital.ufba.br/content/ruth-landes
The rest of the photos are available at the National Anthropological Archives of the Smithsonian:
http://siris-archives.si.edu/ipac20/ipac.jsp?session=S34T1010W2160.122643&profile=all&uri=search=SW~!Field%20photographs%20from%20Bahia,%20Brazil,%201938%20-%201939&term=Field%20photographs%20from%20Bahia,%20Brazil,%201938%20-%201939&menu=search&submenu=subtab157&source=~!siarchives
