Rubens Fernandes Junior's 'Fotografias Deserdadas' Book Rescues Anonymous Family Photos
Rubens Fernandes Junior, a researcher and curator, has spent years scouring flea markets, antique fairs, and secondhand shops in Brazil to recover discarded or forgotten anonymous photographs. These images, often from family albums or studio portraits, lack names, dates, or data but carry significant historical and social representativeness. His collection is now published in the book 'Fotografias Deserdadas' by Editora Tempo d’Imagem. The project draws inspiration from Walter Benjamin's 1931 text 'A pequena história da fotografia' and aligns with thinkers like Alfredo de Paz, Roland Barthes, and Pierre Bourdieu, who emphasized the importance of vernacular photography in documenting everyday life and social rituals. In an era of ephemeral digital images, Fernandes Junior argues for the preservation of these 'disinherited' photographs as concrete attestations of existence and personal meaning.
Key facts
- Rubens Fernandes Junior is a researcher and curator.
- He collects anonymous photographs found in flea markets and secondhand shops.
- The photographs lack identifying data like names or dates.
- The collection is published in the book 'Fotografias Deserdadas'.
- The book is published by Editora Tempo d’Imagem.
- The concept references Walter Benjamin's 1931 text on photography.
- Thinkers like Roland Barthes and Pierre Bourdieu are cited as influences.
- The project advocates for preserving physical photographs in the digital age.
Entities
Artists
- Rubens Fernandes Junior
- Walter Benjamin
- Alfredo de Paz
- Roland Barthes
- Pierre Bourdieu
Institutions
- Editora Tempo d’Imagem
Locations
- Brazil