For the past eight years, Rafael Cosme, a 41-year-old carioca, has been roaming antique fairs and shops, seeking out negatives, slides, and photographs of anonymous Brazilians. His collection features a diverse range of moments, including beachgoers at Flamengo, young celebrants at the 1977 New Year's Eve, and the excitement surrounding Brazil's first football World Cup victory in 1958. These images, often taken by amateurs during a time when cameras were less common, stand in stark contrast to today's digital age and embody a lost era of memory and history.

Cosme’s archive, now roughly 300,000 images strong, offers a voyeuristic glimpse into everyday life in Brazil, particularly in Rio but also across other regions, spanning from the late 19th century to the dawn of digital photography. This vast collection not only serves to preserve individual stories that might otherwise fade away but also highlights the cultural context of Brazilian life across generations. His work directly addresses the loss of intimate history and the significance of everyday moments captured through photography.

Drawing comparisons between historical photographers like Marc Ferrez and Augusto Malta, Cosme positions himself as part of an ongoing narrative that seeks to document and celebrate the lives of ordinary Brazilians. His endeavor not only rescues these precious visual narratives but also sparks discussions about cultural memory and the anthropology of everyday life. As he continues his mission, the impact of his work resonates on both personal and societal levels, encouraging a re-evaluation of how we view and preserve our history.