Museum of the Northeastern Man, Recife

The Museum of the Man of the Northeast is a federal institution linked to the Joaquim Nabuco Foundation and the Ministry of Education. It was founded in 1979 through the merger of three earlier institutions: the Museum of Anthropology, the Museum of Popular Art, and the Sugar Museum.

Its collections present Brazil’s cultural formation through objects linked to Black, Indigenous, and European influences, including plantation items, domestic tools, folk art, and Indigenous artifacts. One unexpected piece in the collection is the original whistle used by referee Manoel Amaro de Lima during the 1969 match in which Pelé scored his 1,000th career goal at the Maracanã, a small object that connects sports history with a wider cultural narrative.

The museum also develops educational and cultural programs aimed at encouraging dialogue between different social groups. Through exhibitions, events, and research activities, it explores questions of identity, cultural diversity, and historical inequality, using its collections to support reflection on Brazilian society.