THE CLASSROOM AND THE MUSEUM: THE FIRST COLLECTIONS OF THE HISTORICAL MUSEUM OF LONDRINA/PR UNDER PRIEST AND PROFESSOR CARLOS WEISS'S MANAGEMENT (1970-1976)

The aim of this article is to analyze the (con)formation of the early collections in the Historical Museum of Londrina (MHL). It is assumed that the personal and academic background of the first director, Father Carlos Weiss (1970-1976) - Professor of Ancient and Medieval History at the State College of Philosophy, Sciences, Languages and Literature of Londrina - determined the choice and emphasis given to the archeological and ethnographic collections. For that purpose, the Museum's First Register Book (PLR), other institutional documents and employees' testimonials have been analyzed. The analysis here presented goes beyond the local perspective, as the experience of setting up the first collections converses with a regional and national context in a dynamic and continuous process. The result of the research revealed not only a strong predominance of archeological and ethnographic objects - about 40% - in the MHL early years, but also the presence of artifacts from several regions of Brazil and the world. This identity stems from the professor/director's experiences and from the knowledge acquired as a consequence. Thus, a change can be noticed in the profile of the collections, leading to indifference towards ethnoarchaeological objects in the managements that followed his.