The Joys and Disappointments of a German Governess in Imperial Brazil

Ina von Binzers letters, published in 1887, provide a rare view of three different elite family households in Brazil during the twilight years of the Second Empire. She explores the management of households and plantations, the behavior of slaves and slaveowners, and the agricultural production of coffee and sugar. The letters are prefaced by a historical introduction that surveys the contexts of slavery's slow demise after 1850 and offers new biographical research on von Binzer and the prominent families who employed her. A map of her travels and photographs provide visual documentation.

Format: Hardback
Length: 262 pages
Publication date: 15 February 2022
Publisher: University of Notre Dame Press

Ina von Binzers remarkable account, originally published in German in 1887 and now translated into English for this book, provides a unique insight into three distinct elite family households during the twilight years of Brazil's Second Empire. Her perspective, as a German governess, stands in stark contrast to the predominantly male-authored contemporary travel literature on Brazil. While von Binzer touches upon a wide array of subjects, including household management, plantation operations, slave behavior, agricultural production, family dynamics, child-rearing, culinary traditions, and urban life, a recurring theme throughout her letters is the growing realization that the world created by the slaveholders was destined to collapse. She delves into the impending arrival of abolition as a national issue and a nascent movement, one that her employers could no longer ignore. Through her recounting of conversations with them, she offers her own insightful perspectives, offering a fascinating insiders' view of a world on the brink of disappearance.

Von Binzers letters are preceded by an invaluable historical introduction that surveys the gradual decline of slavery after 1850 and conducts new biographical research on von Binzer and the prominent families who employed her. Additionally, a map of her travels and numerous photographs contemporaneous with her residence in Brazil serve as visual complements to her letters, enhancing our understanding of her experiences and the context in which she lived.

Weight: 522g
Dimension: 158 x 236 x 24 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9780268201777