Marie Curie’s visit to Rio de Janeiro in 1926 and the Brazilian press

Abstract

Science was the object of interest of Brazilian press during the 1920’s, in a context in which popular science activities were on the rise in that country. Our objective in this case study is to show how both science and the scientists were presented in Brazilian press at that time. We have analyzed how Marie Curie’s visit to Rio de Janeiro in 1926 was covered by five Brazilian newspapers. Experimental science and its applications were shown in a positive perspective in those texts. Marie Curie was portrayed as a clever, stubborn and modest woman. Her virtues are shown as a supporting argument to the equality of gender.