João da Silva Campos

Origin

Santo Amaro, BA

Years Active

1900–1940

Genres

symbolism

Biography

João da Silva Campos was a notable engineer, geographer, historian, folklorist, and writer from Bahia, born on January 27, 1880, in the parish of Oliveira dos Campinhos, in the municipality of Santo Amaro. The son of Dr. Hermenegildo Lopes de Campos and Mrs. Maria Virgínia da Silva Campos, he graduated in geographic engineering from the Polytechnic School of Bahia in 1905. His professional career took him to various regions of Brazil, including Manaus, where he worked as a state engineer.

His passion for national history and tradition, especially that of Bahia, drove him to a vast literary production. He was one of the pioneers of the symbolist movement in Bahia, founding the literary society Nova Cruzada in 1900, where he published his first "Crônicas d'Antanho". During his work as an engineer in the Amazon between 1907 and 1911, he did not limit himself to his profession, but also dedicated himself to recording local stories and legends, in addition to documenting historical monuments and sites.

Throughout his life, João da Silva Campos accumulated a rich collection of books and documents on history and tradition, with notable works such as "Procissões Tradicionais da Bahia", "Fortificações da Bahia", "Crônicas da Capitania São Jorge dos Ilhéus", "Tempo Antigo: Crônicas D. Antanho", "Marcos do Passado, Histórias Do...", "Tradições Baianas" and "O Folclore no Brasil". His work is a valuable legacy for the understanding of Brazilian culture and history, with a special emphasis on Bahia. He passed away on June 4, 1940.