Mundurucu grew from a fascination with old cultures and the remarkable images left behind by explorers, artists, travellers and researchers.
The Mundurucú Indians were once among the fiercest peoples of the Central Amazon. Their resistance to Portuguese expansion helped them survive, and today Mundurucú communities still live along the Tapajós River in Brazil.
During the age of exploration, the “New Worlds” attracted explorers, adventurers, traders and missionaries. Many left behind vivid descriptions and beautiful images of the people they encountered, their customs and their way of life.
But those encounters also changed native societies dramatically. Kingdoms disappeared, traditions changed and old customs vanished.
That is what Mundurucu is about. We collect, restore and publish this historical material so that the images, stories and visual heritage of these cultures remain visible and can still be discovered by future generations.
Over the years the collection has grown to thousands of historical images from cultures all over the world. Some are well known, many are not. The World Map and Gallery make it easy to wander through them and discover material you might otherwise never come across.
Browse the collection →Part of the collection is published in our eBooks, while individual high-resolution images can be requested for books, websites, exhibitions and other projects. The idea is simple: the collection should be seen and used, not hidden away.
Explore the eBooks →