Presenting the rich collection on Getúlio Vargas in a modern way, from a perspective that is on the current agenda: political propaganda. This is one of the goals of virtual exhibit “Getúlio Vargas and Political Propaganda”, organized by FGV’s School of Social Sciences (CPDOC) and launched on September 28.

At a time when social media swarms with political discussions, students can learn about the important role that political propaganda played during the Vargas Era, both to showcase its achievements and during elections.

The virtual exhibit marks the beginning of the Heritage Dissemination and Education project of CPDOC’s historical collection. The initiative aims to bring the general public – especially primary and high school students, as well as History and Social Sciences professors – closer to Getúlio Vargas’ precious historical collection, broadening its use by society.

In a playful and interactive way, the site gathers photographs, manuscripts and printed documents, speeches, interviews and campaign “jingles”, in addition to rare films with political propaganda. One of the available technologies is “flipping booking”, which allows users to browse the pages of Vargas’ journal on the web.

The exhibit is divided into eight modules: "The Getúlio Vargas Era Timeline”, “Brazil in the Vargas Administrations”, “Estado Novo [New State] National Exhibit”, “DIP”, “Getúlio Vargas Has the Floor”, “Brazil Hour”, “The 1950 Campaign”, and “Educational Activities”.

One of the project’s novelties is the playful presentation of the collection, with games such as scrabble and crosswords, among others. This educational material is available in PDF format and open to the public.

CPDOC’s Documentation Coordinator, Daniele Amado, explains that the exhibit allows students to find small articles on personalities such as Gustavo Capanema and Oswaldo Aranha. The website also includes documents that can be accessed and used in the classroom and in academic papers.

“It’s interesting for students to see how was Getúlio Vargas’ relationship with political propaganda and the process of building his image, remembered to this day as the best President of Brazil. Professors can compare the campaigns of that time to the current social media debates on the elections”, said CPDOC’s Documentation Coordinator.

Go to the website to visit the virtual exhibit.