SCHOOL BOOK SREADING AND SELLING SPACES IN PARAÍBA CITY (1850-1889)

Abstract

Abstract: This paper aims to understand the cultural practices in the establishment process of school life  through  the  circulation  of  books  and  educational  textbooks  on  selling  and  reading  spaces  in  the 19th century Paraíba City. As theoretical basis the paper uses the historiographical conceptions about material  culture  and,  subsequently,  about  the  school  material  culture  to  read  and  analyze  the documental  corpus.  The  main  sources  for  this  analysis  were  official  documents  and  11  newspapers that  circulated  in  the  Northern  Paraíba  province  during  the  period.  For  the  first  half  of  the  19th Century we were able to locate only a single place for the reading, the Liceu’s Public Library, and no retail place. In 19th century’s second half, however, we noticed a change in books, textbooks and school artifacts’ selling  and  reading  spaces  in  the  province.  The  research  identified  interprovincial contacts between the Northern Paraíba and the Court, with registered reception of books coming from Rio de Janeiro and other provinces’ publishers located in the North at that time.

Keywords: Newspapers. Reading spaces. School material culture.