This article on the Scientific Commission for the Exploration of the Northern and Northeastern Brazilian Provinces- sponsored by the Instituto Histórico e Geográfico Brasileiro (IHGB) in 1856 and comprised solely of Brazilian naturalists and engineers-points out some lesser known aspects of how this expedition was an integral part of the Rio de Janeiro National Museum's scientific activities. In so doing, it also sheds some light on the important role that the National Museum played in Brazil's mid-1800's scientific context. The article further identifies institutional, political, and personal networks of scientific relations among those who dedicated themselves to establishing and consolidating the natural sciences in Brazil.
natural sciences; history of science; scientific expeditions; National Museum