About the Museum

The Brazilian Historic and Geographic Institute (Portuguese: Instituto Histórico e Geográfico Brasileiro, IHGB), founded on 21 October 1838, is the oldest and traditional authority to promote research and preservation of historical and geographical, cultural and social sciences in Brazil. Its creation, together with the Public Archives of Empire, which amounted to the Imperial Academy of Fine Arts, joined the effort of the conservatives during the regency of Pedro de Araújo Lima to build a strong and centralized imperial state.