Advertisements for enslaved Black women and female urban dynamics in Desterro

Abstract

The history of cities is often told based solely on their materiality, neglecting intangible contributions that result from the relations between individuals and space. Moreover, female participation in this production remains relatively inaccessible, due to a lack of sources that specify them. For these reasons, enslaved Black women remain even more invisible. In this study we bring attention to some of the contributions of these women to the production of urban space in Desterro/Florianópolis as intangible dynamics by analyzing advertising found in the local press for the purchase, sale, and rent of these women. Finally, we discuss how their daily lives may have contributed to signification of public and private spaces, in relation to the urban dynamics of the time.