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Ambassador Nabuco asks William Loeb if esteemed Brazilian physician, Dr. Oswaldo Gonçalves Cruz, can meet President Roosevelt during his brief stay in Washington D.C., before traveling to Mexico City for the International Sanitary Conference of the American Republics.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1907-11-15
Augustus C. Wrenn reports to Secretary of the Navy Metcalf on coal contract bids for fleets at sea in South America and the Caribbean. Wrenn provides a detailed cost analysis for several ports and companies, along with recommendations and analysis for which contracts the Department of the Navy has accepted. Wrenn requests Metcalf’s attention on an issue regarding logistics and taxation discussed by Attorney General Charles J. Bonaparte.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1907-10-17
Ambassador Griscom writes for the State Department’s records a short account of Secretary of State Root’s stay in Brazil. Griscom details those who took the voyage with Root, the dinners Root attended and gave, the dignitaries he met, and the cities he visited. Griscom will collect the speeches Root made during his Brazilian trip and transmit them to the department as soon as they are available.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1906-08-31
Nelson P. Webster forwards a telegram from Edward Charles O’Brien, American Minister to Uruguay, reporting that Secretary of State Elihu Root’s declarations before the Rio de Janeiro congress have been enthusiastically applauded by the newspapers. The newspaper reports say Root’s declarations “obliterate” false impressions and prejudices about the United States.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1906-08-03
Secretary of State Root tells President Roosevelt about his successful visit to Brazil. Root is confident that there will be “kindly feelings, left in place of the wide spread distrust which seems to characterize South American opinion regarding the purpose and attitude of the United States.” Root encloses a copy of the speech he gave at the Pan American Conference, and an article especially for the benefit of Edith Roosevelt. Root also talked with Colombian Representatives and arranged for a meeting with General Rafael Reyes.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1906-08-02
John Barrett writes to President Roosevelt before his historic diplomatic trip with Elihu Root through Ecuador, Panama, and Colombia. Barrett is working with President Reyes and other leaders to create a peace treaty between Colombia, Panama, and the United States. The Colombians seek concessions from Panama and the U.S., including free passage of Colombian shipping through the Panama Canal. In return Colombia will have a “favorable attitude” to shipping interests in the United States. Barrett includes his itinerary for his trip through Ecuador.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1906-08-02
Secretary of State Elihu Root has arrived in Brazil aboard the Charleston, ahead of the Pan American Conference. Root was well received and made a speech to a large crowd. He compared the histories of the United States and Brazil. The Charleston‘s coaling is taking longer than expected due to the weather but it will move on to Bahia before heading to Rio de Janeiro for the conference.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1906-07-28
Lloyd Carpenter Griscom, Minister to Brazil, sends a telegram to Secretary of State Root discussing affairs in Brazil.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1906-07-26
Secretary of the Navy Bonaparte informs President Roosevelt that he will be giving an address at Commemoration Day at Johns Hopkins University and will take this opportunity to inform the public about the Navy’s current financial need. Bonaparte also mentions briefly Secretary of State Root’s upcoming trip to Rio de Janeiro.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1906-02-21
William Lawrence Penfield reports to William Loeb on a matter at the American Consulate in Brazil. After Penfield arrived in Brazil, Consul-General Eugene Seeger “launched out in charges” against Ambassador David E. Thompson. Penfield later spoke with Thompson, who told Penfield that there was a matter at the Consulate in Rio, which he believed the United States government should investigate. Penfield said he will investigate the matter quietly and suggested that Thompson submit any evidence to him under the cover of it being a matter of “commercial relations” with Brazil.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1905-10-12
This postcard shows a wide view over a manicured lawn dotted with trees and shrubs. A lake stands in the background. While the view looks like a park, Charles C. Myers instead says that it is a normal view from a suburb of Rio de Janeiro.
In Charles C. Myers’s own words, “Here is a section of one of the parks and recreation grounds in the outskirts of the city. Also there is a ball ground that is not shown in this picture.”
This postcard shows a view of Rio de Janeiro’s wide central avenue, with lampposts running down the middle and sides of the street. Carriages run down the middle of the boulevard while people walk both on the sides and in the middle of the street.
In Charles C. Myers’s own words, “Another view on Cantral Ave. which is the principal boulevard and for a short boulevard is one of the most beautiful in the world. This street in [sic] only about a half mile long but is 108 ft wide and has a surface smooth as a floor. There is no street car line on this street and it is lined on either side by the finest buildings in the city. This is quite an automobile promenade. One marked feature in the building of this street as well as other streets in the city, is the use of rounded corners, the building line being marked on a curve of considerable radius. This adds a beauty and dignity to the architecture of the buildings and a grace to the appearance of the streets that is lacking in our cities of the United States. Another odd but charming feature seen in not many cities of the world is the side walks made of Mosaic work of black and white stone laid out in many geometrical figures and designs. This indeed has a beautiful appearance especially when viewed from a distance on an elevation. Nearby on this same street. not shown in this picture, is the National Library Bldg. said to be the finest in S. America. The origin of this library was due to the flight of King Joao 6th of Portugal, to Brazil in 1807. This library has over 130,000 volumns [sic] and a collection of over 25,000 very rare medals and over 100,000 very valuble [sic] engravings. The average monthly attendence [sic] at this library is about 3,300 readers.
About a block to the south from this theatre bldg is a noted hospital of Spanish origin which ows [sic] its existence to the Jesuit Priests of the 16th century. it was 30 years under construction, still in good preserve and can accommodate about 1200 patients at one time.
A view of the zoological gardens in Rio de Janeiro’s Republic Square. A number of swans swim in the pond of water, while other birds stand along the shoreline. Paths lined with lights run along the water’s bank. Charles C. Myers says that this is one of “several beautiful parks of the city.”
In Charles C. Myers’s own words, “A corner in the zoological gardens. This is an interesting place to visit as her you see a collection of animals and birds like you see no place else in the whole world.”
This postcard shows a view of a drainage canal, which the card titles “Mangrove Avenue.” Charles C. Myers notes that he was near this place on February 19, 1911 while riding around Rio de Janeiro in an automobile.
In Charles C. Myers’s own words, “Here we see one of the drainage ways of the city, in other words it is an open sewerway, but under the very sanitary conditions of the city there seems to be no serious objection to this open water way and in fact it seems to add to the attractiveness of the locality and it is a pleasand [sic] drive down this long and shady lane beneath those majestic palms.”
This postcard shows a street lined with palm trees in Rio de Janeiro. A figure walks with a small animal in the middle of the street. Charles C. Myers adds, in a comment, that he feels that the many palm trees add to the city’s beauty.
In Charles C. Myers’s own words, “Another one of the fine driveways, along the shady lane leading to the residence of the President of Brazil.”
This postcard shows a view of a palm tree-lined street in Rio de Janeiro. Many carriages drive down the road. A wide path with frequent benches runs parallel to the road, with people both resting on the benches and walking down the path. This postcard was created by gluing a photograph to the front of a different postcard, as indicated by a crossed-out description on the back.
1911
Postcard of a view of a park in Rio de Janeiro. Large plants and trees grow alongside a calm body of water, while buildings are partially blocked behind trees.
In Charles C. Myers’s own words, “In another one of the beautiful parks of the city where you see many kinds of palm trees, many kinds of ferns, banana trees, century plant and others to [sic] numerous to mention, and also many kinds of insects and reptiles whose acquaintance you will not want to cultivate. Now perhaps we just as well know of a few of the disadvantages of these beautiful tropical countries as we go along. i presume many of you will will [sic] quite agree with me as to liking insects and reptiles best when they are farthest away, however not many kinds of the tropical insect and reptile family are poisonous, not so many as you would think. Lizards of all kinds abound there but perhaps the one to be avoided most is the white lizard. One of these little fellows crawled across the hand of one of our party when we were enjoying ourselves in the park one day and where the lizzard [sic] touched his hand it seemed to exude some sort of a liquid which caused his hand to be very sore and painful for a month or more. Mosquitoes are also very troublesome there at times and they are very large, honestly a great many of them would weigh a pound–but it would no doubt take a great many to weigh a pound.
The story is told of the captains of a couple of small sailing vessels that recently went up a river toward the interior of Brazil. When the second ship was going up the river they met the first one coming down the river and the captain called to the other, “And how did you find the mosquitoes up the river?” when the first captain replied, “I say sir they are very bad up there, a drove of them come along and eat the sales all off my ship.” “Ah yes,” says the other captain, “That must have been the same drove we met coming down the river for they all had canvass breeches on.”
This postcard shows a view of one of Rio de Janeiro’s many parks. Tall trees are reflected in the still water.
In Charles C. Myers’s own words, “A view of another one of the parks in the city. In this park you will not see many palm trees–mostly the eucalyptus or gum tree.”
This postcard shows the cog-wheel railway leading up Mount Corcovado outside Rio de Janeiro. Charles C. Myers adds the detail that Mount Corcovado stands 2,300 ft high, and overlooks the city’s harbor.
In Charles C. Myers’s own words, “This shows the car track as we get near the end of our ride. here we see no weeds in waste places but instead we see beautiful ferns and flowers, certainly an ideal place for one who likes the study of botany.”
This postcard has two views of peddlers as they appear in Rio de Janeiro. One man carries a very large pack on his back, while another draws a cart stocked with bottles behind him.
In Charles C. Myers’s own words, “Here are a couple more. One has a wine cart with all kinds of wine and other beverages while the other has short pieces of sugar cane which the natives are very fond of chewing for the juice.”