In Photos: The Smoldering Remains of Brazil's National Museum

Late on September 2, a fire tore through the 200-year-old National Museum of Brazil in Rio de Janeiro, burning for more than five hours and destroying or damaging countless irreplaceable artifacts, fossils, memorabilia, works of art, and more. The museum’s collection reportedly included more than 20 million items. The cause remains under investigation, and salvage efforts are under way, but the losses appear to be enormous. Protesters took to the streets denouncing government mismanagement, neglect, and budget cuts that they say have left the museum and other institutions vulnerable to devastating fires and other disasters. See also Ed Yong’s “What Was Lost in Brazil’s Devastating Museum Fire.”

Read more
Hints: View this page full screen. Skip to the next and previous photo by typing j/k or ←/→.

Most Recent

  • Juan Oliphant / oneoceandiving.com / Reuters
    • In Focus
    • Jan 18, 2019
    • 35 Photos

    Photos of the Week: Ice Disk, Pet Blessings, Presidential Burgers

    Teachers on strike in Los Angeles, “Kiss a Ginger Day” in Ireland, a terror attack in Nairobi, fashion shows in Berlin and Paris, the “No Pants Subway Ride” in New York, and much more

  • Ricardo Mazalan / AP
    • In Focus
    • Jan 16, 2019
    • 27 Photos

    Photos From the 2019 Dakar Rally

    On January 7, a group of 334 competitors began the 41st annual Dakar Rally: a punishing 10-day, 3,000-mile race across the Peruvian desert.

  • Ilya Terentyev / Getty
    • In Focus
    • Jan 15, 2019
    • 30 Photos

    Built to Separate: Border Barriers Around the World

    As more and more walls are built along borders worldwide, a look at some famous and some lesser-known barriers across the globe.

  • Costfoto / Barcroft Media via Getty
    • In Focus
    • Jan 11, 2019
    • 35 Photos

    Photos of the Week: Denver Longhorns, Camel Shaving, Hero Pups

    Heavy snow across Central Europe, a partial solar eclipse in China, a Transformer on the streets of Bogota, the Golden Globe Awards in Beverly Hills, Christmas fire in Saint Petersburg, and much more

Most Popular on The Atlantic

  1. The President’s Hostage Attempt Is Going Miserably Wrong
  2. The Mayor of Covington, Kentucky, Explains What His City Stands For
  3. Impeach Donald Trump
  4. The Lackluster Return of Saturday Night Live Had One Real Standout Moment
  5. Elizabeth Warren’s Early Stroke of Genius
  6. What People Actually Say Before They Die
  7. Why There Are No Nuclear Airplanes
  8. How a Stroke Turned a 63-Year-Old Into a Rap Legend
  9. Letters: The Article ‘Sending Chills Through the Interpreter Community’
  10. There’s Snow on TV, so Trump’s Tweeting About Climate Change
Back to Top