Ilustríssimos: the Presence of Children in a Disputed Archive
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.11606/issn.2178-0447.ars.2026.229564Keywords:
Children, Archive, Politics, Narrative, PowerAbstract
This article analyzes the recurring presence of children in institutional images – especially photographs – held in Brazil's national archives, from the founding of the Brazilian Republic to the administration that took office in 2018. The author compares this visual production with her own photography series, Ilustríssimos,
developed since in 2020 and still in progress. Considering the political dimension of the archive and the power exercised by those
who guard, classify and make it public, what is the role of children in the construction of these archives and of the nation's history? How
does their representation contribute to the creation of heroes – and villains – in Brazilian politics? Are they incidentally captured and
incorporated into history or are they carefully constructed presences that help shape a historical narrative? These questions prompt an
examination of the rules and conditions governing the formation of institutional archives and their power to produce historicity: what history is told when the position of the “illustrious” is reversed and the presence of children in institutional archives is highlighted?
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