Priscila Lena Farias / Anna Calvera Marcos da Costa ... - Blucher

The design of Manoel Bandeira: a historical view of periodicals in the the 1930’s in Pernambuco
which a group of craftsmen, black freedmen, organized themselves
to defend values like job well done, honor, training, skill,
and intelligence.
These men had basic objectives as the professional development
of the members with theoretical classes, and mutual aid.
With a grant from the Government since 1844, in 1850 they were
already entitled Society of Mechanical and Liberal Arts. And in
1870, the name changes to Imperial Society of Mechanical and
Liberal Artists, culminating in the founding, in 1880, of the palace
of the Liceu de Artes e Ofícios, which would be administered
by the same staff. (Cord 2009)
It was in this environment, where the teaching of technical
finesse of artistic crafts was privileged, combined with
solid moral values as elements of social distinction, that
Manoel Bandeira had his first training. Many craftsmen
would have the ability to conduct works “under his own
plan,” as says Cord (2009). The history of the Brotherhood,
that throughout its trajectory sought to keep the
practices of the so-called mechanical arts in consonance
with the contemporary liberal ideals, proved to be a craft
that demanded intelligence and artistic and projective
skills, unlike the existing conventions.
Prelude and career
In 1915 Bandeira started as a designer in the company The
Propagandist. Owned by Franklin Silva Jardim, the company,
also an important lithographic industry (Agra Jr. 2011), would be
a precursor of advertising agencies. In May 1917 Bandeira started
as a designer in Pernambuco Tramways. He married in 1920
with Emma Michellot Bandeira, and from then on, divided himself
between the job in Tramways and his studio set up in the living
room, at Visconde de Suassuna Street, 894, Santo Amaro district.
In 1924, Bandeira illustrates for the Revista do Norte, owned by
José Maria Carneiro de Albuquerque Melo (Emerenciano 1967).
In 1925 he illustrates, invited by Gilberto Freyre, the commemorative
publication for 100 years of the Diario de Pernambuco, O
livro do Nordeste. For Gilberto Freyre, he also illustrated Sobrados
e Mucambos, Nordeste, Assucar and in 1939 the Guia Prático
e sentimental de Olinda. Between the years 1928 and 1930,
he contributed to the journal A província. Yet in 1928, he works
for the special editions of O Jornal, owned by Assis Chateaubriand,
dedicated to Pernambuco and Minas Gerais (Cavalcanti
1982). He collaborated also with the Diario de Pernambuco, and
then for the group of the companies Diario da Manhã and Diário
da Tarde.
Bandeira also participated collectively in some events of Arts
like the Grande Salão de Pintura da Exposição Geral de Pernambuco
(1924), the 1 a Exposição de Arte Moderna (1927), among
others. He also takes care of the decor and the booths of Pernambuco
in large fairs and national exhibitions, including the
artistic part of the Feira de Amostras do Estado de Pernambuco
(1939), at the invitation of the governor Agamenon Magalhães
(Cavalcanti 1982). Later, between 1940 and 1945, he illustrates
the maps of monuments and curiosities of Olinda, Goiana, Curiosidades
da Guerra Holandesa em Pernambuco, and of Recife.
In 1946, Bandeira wins the competition to redesign the coat
of arms of the Pernambuco State Government, being of his authorship
the lasted official adjustments made until this day. He
also developed stamps, brands, other coat of arms, promotional
materials, ex-libris, diplomas and certificates adorned with gold.
He had, throughout his career, a group of regular clients: State
Government, Lima Cavalcanti & Co. group, the Diario de Pernambuco,
and the Sugar Museum.
Figure 1. Covers of Annuarios de Pernambuco para 1934, 1935 e 1936
(photo by Sebastião Cavalcante).
4. The yearbooks (Anuários)
In this gathering of his production, where Bandeira transits
within the artistic environment, advertising, set design, and
documental illustration, the part of his portfolio which is less
comented about are his contributions to the periodical press.
Besides the Revista do Norte, Bandeira illustrated for Revista de
Garanhuns (1930), and collaborates with the periodical Mauricéia
(1937). He also contributes to the magazine P’ra Você from
1932, and also takes over the covers and other elements of the
Anuários de Pernambuco, both part of the group Lima Cavalcanti
& Co., owned by the Cavalcanti brothers. The group starts with
the Diario da Manhã in 1927. In 1928, they launch the Diario da
Tarde. In 1930 they started P’ra Você. And in 1934 Folha da Noite
begins. In the same year, they released their first annual supplement
(Nascimento 2008). A descriptive and statistical summary
of state activities throughout the year, the three editions of
the Annuarios de Pernambuco had the format of 21x30cm, with
an average of 350 pages. The 1934 edition is properly paged,
the 1935 edition is unnumbered and the 1936 edition used
the sections paging feature. Varying a little bit, his summaries
contained useful informations of official sectors, commercial,
agricultural, liberal professionals, financial information, personalities
photographs pages, buildings, and landscapes. The editorial
propose has sections as: “Calendar and useful information”,
“Literature” “Municipalities of Pernambuco,” “Finance”, “Industry
and Trade”, “Agriculture and Livestock”, and “Arts and Sciences.”
(Nascimento 2008)
Design Frontiers: Territiories, Concepts, Technologies 507