Abstract
Known as one of the simultaneous inventors of photography Hercule Florence (1804-1878) became a familiar character in Brazilian historiography. The purpose of this article is to discuss how Florence constructed an autobiographical account centered on the figure of exile and emigration from his manuscript, published in facsimile, L’Ami des arts livré à lui même ou Recherches et découvertes sur différents sujets nouveaux, highlighting his narrative of the river journey undertaken in the context of the Baron de Langsdorff expedition between 1825 and 1829. My hypothesis is that Florence creates in this manuscript a script and reading of his life that restores a prominent place to the artist, inventor, scientist and esthete lost in the interior of Brazil without access to the recognition he deserved. The lamentation for exile justifies, a posteriori, the lack of recognition, highlighting the innovation and quality of his inventions in the field of arts and sciences.
Keywords:
Travels; Travel Literature; Hercule Florence