Looking Good in the Picture. The Royal Visit to Funchal (1901)

Abstract

In June 1901, Portuguese monarchs – D. Carlos I and D. Amélia de Orleães – traveled to Madeira Island, the only official royal visit to this region. For this special moment, there were many arrangements: the streets were decorated with flowers, the windows and balconies were lit up, the S. Lourenço Palace underwent alterations, welcome receptions were prepared on land and at sea…
The visit was well documented by photographers, professionals and amateurs, residents and foreigners who traveled to the Island. The acceptance of photography by the monarchs, who were connoisseurs and practitioners, made it easier to obtain a good collection of images that are part of the heritage of the Madeira Archives and Library (ABM).
It is our proposal to analyze the royal visit using, as information sources, the press and photography, an innovation at that time and used as a historical document since the mid-20^th century. The analyzed images are part of a collection made up of numerous photographs by different authors that document different moments of the visit.

Keywords

Royal Visit; Funchal; Photography; Postcard.