Letters to José Sidrim: Graphy of affects in the Eclectic Belém

Abstract

This paper analyzes unpublished letters that communicate interests, feelings, and experiences arising from the relationship of architect José Sidrim (1881-1969) with notable characters from Belém, who hired him to design and build their residencies. In a pioneering way, the paper also transcribes important narratives for the social history of art and architectural historiography through three examples, including letters written by Guilherme Paiva (1926), Orlando Lima (1926) and Benedicto Passarinho (1927) and sent to Sidrim at the completion of the works. Based on the written culture and correspondence habits of the time, this paper aims to collect and analyze information related to the architectural practice, considering its social field, the profile of the architect, and the construction of an affective memory between the house owner, the architect, and the building itself. For this purpose, it investigates how these letters report experiences and rituals of the architectural practice in a period of artistic and political innovation, reflecting the economic panorama experienced by the city of Belém during this period. Beyond mere social products, the letters, as declarations, effective epistles, report the powerful impact of an architectural work in social memory and imaginary. From this writing of affects, this work aims to rebuild the image and ideology of a fragment of the nostalgic, modern, and idyllic Belém, as well as of its visual narrative and affective memory, based on the philosophical concepts postulated by Roland Barthes and Gilles Deleuze.