13 results
Map Showing the Presumed Headwaters of the Das Velhas River and Part of the Captaincy of Minas Gerais
This late-18th century hand-drawn map shows the Das Velhas River, one of the tributaries of the São Francisco River in southern Brazil that flows into the Atlantic Ocean. Gold was discovered on its banks in 1698-99.
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National Library of Brazil
On the Saimaa Canal. Finland
At the beginning of the 20th century, the Russian photographer Sergei Mikhailovich Prokudin-Gorskii (1863–1944) used a special color photography process to create a visual record of the Russian Empire. Some of Prokudin-Gorskii’s photographs date from about 1905, but the bulk of his work is from between 1909 and 1915, when, with the support of Tsar Nicholas II and the Ministry of Transportation, he undertook extended trips through many different parts of the empire.
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Library of Congress
Lane in Kharitonov Garden. Ekaterinburg
At the beginning of the 20th century, the Russian photographer Sergei Mikhailovich Prokudin-Gorskii (1863–1944) used a special color photography process to create a visual record of the Russian Empire. Some of Prokudin-Gorskii’s photographs date from about 1905, but the bulk of his work is from between 1909 and 1915, when, with the support of Tsar Nicholas II and the Ministry of Transportation, he undertook extended trips through many different parts of the empire.
Contributed by
Library of Congress
At Likanskii Palace
At the beginning of the 20th century, the Russian photographer Sergei Mikhailovich Prokudin-Gorskii (1863–1944) used a special color photography process to create a visual record of the Russian Empire. Some of Prokudin-Gorskii’s photographs date from about 1905, but the bulk of his work is from between 1909 and 1915, when, with the support of Tsar Nicholas II and the Ministry of Transportation, he undertook extended trips through many different parts of the empire.
Contributed by
Library of Congress
Map of the City of Rio de Janeiro: Situated at Latitude 22 Degrees 54' and Longitude 334 Degrees 53' from the Meridian of the Island of Ferro
This pen-and-ink watercolor map shows the city of Rio de Janeiro and the surrounding coastline around 1770, shortly after it became the colonial capital city of Portuguese Brazil. The map is the work of Manoel Vieira Leão (1727-1803), an assistant to the governor of the city.
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National Library of Brazil
Primitive Map of the Upper Paraguay River and Its Tributaries Cuiaba, Porrudos and Sao Lourenco
This hand-drawn map from around 1720 shows the Upper Paraguay River and its tributaries, the Cuiaba, Porrudos, and São Lourenco rivers. The basin of the Upper Paraguay River is located in the present-day Brazilian states of Mato Grosso and Mato Grosso do Sul, and is the largest floodplain area in the world. This map subsequently played a role in establishing that Portugal occupied these inland territories and therefore could claim legal ownership under the terms of the 1750 Treaty of Madrid. The map was drawn with ferrogálica, an ink that ...
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National Library of Brazil
Map of the District of Villa Rica
This map showing the district of Villa Rica in Brazil’s Minas Gerais state is the work of José Joaquim da Rocha (1737?-1807). Rocha was a Brazilian military engineer, painter, and cartographer who contributed works to many important churches and monasteries around Salvador and Minas Gerais. His map shows details of individual comarcas (judicial districts) and parochial districts, and an illustration of an Indian. Rocha was accused of participation in the Minas Conspiracy (Inconfidência Mineira) of 1789, a movement seeking independence from Portugal, and of involvement with its leader ...
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National Library of Brazil
Demonstration of the Tributaries of the São Francisco River, Minas Gerais
This hand-colored manuscript map, made by an unknown cartographer sometime in the early 18th century, shows the tributaries of the São Francisco River in Brazil’s Minas Gerais state. The São Francisco River system, which includes 168 tributaries, is the fourth-largest river system in South America. In the early 18th century, the Portuguese sent numerous expeditions up the São Francisco and its tributaries in search of gold, silver, and diamonds.
Contributed by
National Library of Brazil
Map of the Southern Part of Brazil
This manuscript map shows the Atlantic coast of southern Brazil from Ilhéus to the Prata River, and the interior with the tributaries of the Paraná, Paraguai, and Uruguay rivers. Also shown are the main churches and chapels in the provinces.
Contributed by
National Library of Brazil
Demonstration of the São Francisco River in Minas Gerais
This hand-drawn map, made by an unknown cartographer sometime in the early 18th century, shows the São Francisco River in Brazil’s Minas Gerais state. In the early 18th century, the Portuguese sent numerous expeditions up the São Francisco and its tributaries in search of gold, silver, and diamonds.
Contributed by
National Library of Brazil
Topographic Map of Part of Ilheos District
This early-18th century topographic map shows the Ilhéus district in the northeastern Brazilian state of Bahia. The region, also known as Ihéus and São Jorge dos Ilhéus, was the center of Brazil’s sugar production during the colonial period.
Contributed by
National Library of Brazil
Maps of the Border Region Between the States of Rio of Janeiro, Minas Gerais and São Paulo, and of the Course of the São Francisco River
This map shows an area near the end of the São Francisco River. The river originates in Brazil’s Minas Gerais state and travels some 3,160 kilometers to the Atlantic Ocean.
Contributed by
National Library of Brazil
Map of the Region of Minas Gerais with a Part of the Way from São Paulo and of Rio de Janeiro to the Mines, Showing Tributaries of the São Francisco River
This map shows navigable routes to the mines of the southeastern Brazilian state of Minas Gerais. During the 18th century, when this map was drawn, the region’s gold and diamond mines attracted thousands of prospectors. The Portuguese crown financed the construction of a road through the mining regions, from Rio de Janeiro to the diamond center, Diamantina, and strictly controlled traffic on the road. The region was also accessible via the São Francisco River, which begins in Minas Gerais.
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National Library of Brazil