Natural History Museum

The idea of establishing a Natural History Museum (Museu de Ciências Naturais) is a fairly old one. Nearly a century ago the civil governor José Silvestre Ribeiro, a benefactor of the island, laid the foundations for such an institution: he made several rooms of the São Lourenço Palace (‘St Lawrence’) available for it and gave it devoted support, both with his prestige and with the means at his disposal, towards its permanent installation. When Councillor (conselheiro, honorary title of the royal council) Silvestre Ribeiro left the island, the Museum, which, though inadequate and of modest proportions, already represented a hope, soon disappeared entirely.

Valuable light is shed on this subject by what we briefly outlined in a newspaper of this city in 1934, which we shall partly transcribe. ‘Funchal Municipal Council (Câmara Municipal do Funchal), meeting a long-standing and acknowledged need, saw fit to create in this capital of the district a museum of natural-history specimens of a strictly regional character. In doing so it followed in the wake of the original initiative of the Civil Governor José Silvestre Ribeiro, which unfortunately did not last long, and it complemented the fine undertaking of Father Ernst Schmitz in setting up the Seminary Museum (Museu do Seminário), which has been the object of the greatest admiration and esteem on the part of distinguished naturalists, who have often referred to it in works of the highest scientific standing.

The superabundant richness of the Madeiran fauna has long attracted the attention of many men of science and prompted the thorough study of the principal branches of zoology, giving rise to several hundred bibliographical items published in Portuguese and in various foreign languages.

These facts, and other weighty reasons that could easily be adduced, fully justified the creation of a natural history museum. The seed sown by a benefactor governor and illustrious man of letters germinated and bore fruit eighty years later, full of vigour and to the great satisfaction of scholars and the general public, thanks to the happy and bold initiative of the Council of this city, which acquired a fine and spacious building for the purpose and paid the costs of the first installations. This most useful institution continues its remarkable development and is gradually being enriched with numerous rare specimens, especially of marine fauna and birds. It already forms a precious collection, one that deserves to be visited and studied with care, and it has earned the most flattering remarks from people deeply versed in the natural sciences.

It is worth recalling that the Funchal Council created a Museum that was to consist mainly of specimens of the natural history of the archipelago. Everything proves it. The extensive campaign waged in the local press at the time, the interesting interviews that a distinguished army officer held with the various official bodies and the most qualified personalities of Funchal, and the persistent and effective efforts made by various people when the museum was created all eloquently demonstrate our assertion.

The question naturally arises: should an art museum not have been created instead? The answer is this: the establishment founded by the Council would comprise various sections devoted to art, archaeology, ethnography, etc., as far as the limited conditions of our environment allowed. What was called for at the outset, therefore, was the organisation of a modest art section, attached to the Regional Museum of Natural Sciences, which would gradually be enlarged and enriched as circumstances advised. It would also be permissible to annex to this museum other sections deemed necessary, subject to local needs and to the resources the municipality (município) might have at its disposal.

Then came the decree of 7 March 1932, which deals only with museums of art, archaeology, etc., and makes not even a remote reference to establishments of the kind found in Funchal. But was the Council of this city obliged to adapt the conditions of its museum to the provisions of the new decree? It could no doubt do so voluntarily, but nothing in that enactment compelled it to. And since there was then no law, nor is there any yet, preventing a municipal council from establishing a museum on the terms on which Funchal’s operates, we consider that the Council acts lawfully in keeping its Regional Museum in the state in which it was created and in which it is at present. And is there any legal rule that forbids maintaining a small art section attached to a Natural History Museum?

Would it be good, would it be useful, would it be necessary to establish here a museum devoted exclusively to works of art? No moderately cultured person in our society would oppose it, and whoever could bring this praiseworthy idea to fruition would have the unconditional support and applause of everyone’.

On 5 October 1933 the Natural History Museum, attached to the Funchal Municipal Library (Biblioteca Municipal do Funchal), was installed in the São Pedro Palace (‘St Peter’), the former manor house (casa solarenga) of the Counts of Carvalhal (‘oak grove’). It had supplementary sections of art, archaeology, ethnography, etc., and was regarded as meeting a cultural need of our community, a need fully justified by the words quoted above.

Its creation and installation in the handsome building it occupies are due chiefly to Adolfo César de Noronha, as will be seen in the article we shall devote further on to this distinguished man of science.