Catálogo das doações ao museu do Instituto Histórico e Geográfico do Rio Grande do Norte (1903-1921)

Abstract

This study aims to critically examine the first twenty years of the formation of the collection of the first museum in the state of Rio Grande do Norte, established by the Historical and Geographical Institute of Rio Grande do Norte (IHGRN). During the early Republican period, the state of Rio Grande do Norte encountered a specific issue related to territorial boundaries with Ceará, which led the state’s political and intellectual authorities to legally contest the possession of the territory. It was within this context that the IHGRN was established, with its founding dated March 29, 1902. In order to achieve its objectives, the members of the institute produced the Journal of the Historical and Geographical Institute of Rio Grande do Norte (RIHGRN). This journal includes biographies of notable individuals, documents related to the history, geography, and ethnography of Rio Grande do Norte, as well as news and lists of items donated to the institute's collection, among other contributions. Based on the analysis of the minutes of meetings published in the institute’s journal between 1903 and 1921, a catalog was created to conduct a quantitative analysis of the collection studied. By cross-referencing with specialized bibliographic sources, this study seeks to redirect the discussion regarding the IHGRN’s documentary collection, allowing for an examination of the initial conditions for the establishment of a museum within an institute that was conceived to be the cultural and intellectual nucleus of the state of Rio Grande do Norte. Thus, the IHGRN museum in the early 20th century can be understood as a space intended to assemble objects, manuscripts, and documents, and to function as a research center on the state's past, considering the fields of History, Geography, and Ethnography.