In this paper, a collection of maps, booklets, and printed portraits assembled by Diogo Barbosa Machado is studied. Barbosa Machado was a Portuguese abbot who lived in the 18th century. Initially, a typology of this collection is elaborated in order to search for similarities and differences with other collections of the same period. Based on this typology, we addressed Barbosa Machado's bibliophilic activity, emphasizing his exhaustive compilation of print materials on different topics. Finally, we showed the history of the collection until it became part of the Brazilian National Library, in Rio de Janeiro, in the 19th century. The aim is not only to recount its history, but more importantly to present how changes experienced by the collection over some decades may help us reflect on how societies are related to their past.
collecting; historiography; Diogo Barbosa Machado Collection