The President Fernando Henrique Cardoso Collection includes a rich array of materials: textual, photographic, audio, and audiovisual documents, as well as books and personal artifacts. The archive contains not only the documents of Fernando Henrique Cardoso himself but also those of anthropologist and former First Lady Ruth Cardoso, his grandfather Joaquim Ignacio Baptista Cardoso, and his father, Leonidas Cardoso. Later additions include archives from two ministers of his administration: Paulo Renato Souza (Education) and Sergio Motta (Communications).
Portal do Acervo
The Portal do Acervo (Collection Portal) offers free access to around 130,000 digitized items, enhanced by metadata and keywords for easy online searches. While most of the collection is textual, it also features photographs, videos, recordings, artwork, personal items, and books authored or collected by Fernando Henrique and Ruth Cardoso. New items are added daily, continually enriching the archive.
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File guides
Explore comprehensive guides and search tools that outline each collection’s contents and historical context, including timelines and document types. These guides provide an overview of what’s available on the Portal do Acervo, offering users a web-based platform for in-depth research.
Fernando Henrique Cardoso
The documents in the Fernando Henrique Cardoso Archive (1931–) reflect his family background, educational pursuits, and career trajectory as a sociologist, researcher, university professor, senator, constituent senator, Minister of Foreign Affairs, Minister of Finance, and President of Brazil.
General consultation
Ruth Cardoso
The Ruth Cardoso Archive (1930–2008) provides insight into her work as an anthropologist, university professor, First Lady, and eight-year chair of the Comunidade Solidária Program Council, along with aspects of her personal and family life.
Joaquim Ignacio Baptista Cardoso
The Joaquim Ignacio Baptista Cardoso Archive (1860–1924), FHC’s grandfather, documents his role in the Proclamation of the Republic (1889) and other vital events in Brazilian history, including the Revolta da Armada (1893–1894), Revolução Federalista (1893–1895), and Movimento Tenentista (1922–1924).
Leonidas Cardoso
The Leonidas Cardoso Archive (1889–1965) received its first round of preservation treatment. It includes documents from his time as a federal deputy for the PTB between 1955 and 1959.
Paulo Renato Souza
Donated to the Fundação FHC in 2014, the Paulo Renato Souza Archive (1945–2011) chronicles his professional journey, focusing on his tenure as Minister of Education, which received priority in the technical processing of this collection.
See detailed biographies
Fernando Henrique Cardoso
An internationally renowned sociologist, professor, and researcher who extensively studied social change, socio-economic development, and the challenges facing democracy in Brazil and Latin America.
Read biographyRuth Cardoso
Anthropologist, university professor, and researcher Ruth Cardoso published influential works on society, culture, and politics and founded the Comunidade Solidária Program.
Read biographyTechnical visit
Professionals and students specializing in archives and related fields are welcome to schedule technical visits to learn about Fundação FHC’s facilities and document description methodology. Visits can be arranged via email at [email protected].