ABSTRACT
This essay provides an institutional history of Rio de Janeiro Subscription British Library, established by British merchants settled in the city of Rio de Janeiro in the year 1826. Through the "subscription democracy", they forged a space that wedded the imperatives of sociability and reading. The examination of the catalogues published in 1842 and 1882 enabled us to understand some features of the bibliographical collection, with particular attention to the items identified with the literary culture gathered there. Through travelers' reports and articles published in Anglo-Brazilian journals was possible to draw some representations of the association and its members.
Keywords:
Rio de Janeiro British Subcription Library; Reading; Trade; Sociability; Literature