How to see a private case through public lenses: the construction of the personal archive of Eufrásia Teixeira Leite (1850-1930)

ABSTRACT

The article discusses the challenges faced by institutional staff and researchers to build and maintain the personal archive of businesswoman Eufrásia Teixeira Leite (1850-1930). The methodology includes semi-structured interviews and the use of primary and secondary sources. Eufrásia’s archive comprehends different pieces (objects and real estate) and documentation, especially her will, the post-mortem inventory and records of testamentary execution. The case highlights the challenges to understand Eufrásia’s trajectory, and to use the material as a source to storytelling. Furthermore, it stresses the relevance of a multidisciplinary approach to convert the items into a coherent set, thus enabling systematic research.

KEYWORDS
Eufrásia Teixeira Leite; personal collection; multidisciplinary