livro resgata memórias da Zona Norte

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Did you know that a milk truck once roamed the streets of Méier? Or that President Juscelino Kubitschek visited the neighborhood to deliver gifts to a girl who stole food out of hunger? What about the time Flamengo and Vasco faced each other in Engenho de Dentro? These and many more unusual tales can be found in "O Livro do Grande Meyer," a result of six years of heartfelt research on Zona Norte.

Highlights of Méier’s Anniversary:

• Revitalization: The main street of the neighborhood will undergo improvements, including the restoration of clocks.
• A Fresh Look: Praça Saens Peña celebrates its 114th anniversary with a series of upgrades.

The book also recounts a Carioca Championship featuring 20-minute matches, culminating in a 60-minute final, where Mackenzie triumphed in 1923. Interestingly, Zico, the legendary Flamengo player, is featured as a former real estate owner on Rua Silva Rabelo.

As Méier celebrates its 136th anniversary, the movement to honor the memory of Zona Norte gains momentum with the release of this book by journalist and pharmacist Renato Breves Giglio Corrêa de Almeida. With over 600 pages filled with touching stories, rare photographs, and historical records, this volume offers a deep dive into the more than 20 neighborhoods that make up the Grande Méier.

Almeida emphasizes, “Memory is fragile. If we don’t document it, it fades away. Grande Meyer deserves a record worthy of its historical and emotional significance.” He dedicated six years to researching, writing, and organizing this book, which was completed in 2023 but is only now being unveiled.

Originally from Tijuca and raised in “Meyer” (spelled with a “y,” a choice of the author), Almeida has a strong history of local activism. He initiated the officialization of the neighborhood’s flag, handed a petition to the city for the revitalization of Jardim do Méier, and sought to restore the “y” in the neighborhood’s name as a means of historical recovery. He also created the “Máquina do Tempo do Grande Meyer” project over a decade ago, which engages social media with old photos, anecdotes, and curiosities about the area’s history.

The idea to compile this collection into a book arose from his interactions with the public online. “I began sharing photos and interesting facts on a Facebook group in 2012, followed by a dedicated page in 2014. It became clear that I needed to compile everything in a more organized, comprehensive, and accessible way,” he recalls.

Almeida describes himself as a tireless wanderer of his neighborhood. Without a car, he explored Grande Méier on foot for years, speaking with residents, recording stories, noting details, and photographing the few remaining landmarks.

“This everyday experience fostered a deep connection to the area. The desire to compile everything into a book felt like a mission: to preserve this memory, appreciate our uniqueness, and perhaps encourage the public and authorities to recognize this value. The book is the product of a passion that evolved into a responsibility for local history.”

The urgency to document the rich history emerged when he noticed many regional landmarks were disappearing. “I’ve heard incredible stories from older residents and witnessed significant transformations. Yet, I also saw abandoned squares, altered heritage sites, closed cinemas, clubs, and historical markers vanishing, all without proper documentation.”

Almeida faced considerable challenges in finding reliable sources. “I delved into rare books, old newspapers, public and private documents, archives from the National Library, and engaged with older community members. Many accounts were incomplete or contradictory, necessitating an extensive verification process.”

The emotional dimension of the project was significant too. “Revisiting the past of my own childhood affected me deeply. Writing about places that once shaped my life, like Cinema Art Meyer or the heyday of Jardim do Méier, brought nostalgia but also a sense of urgency: to document, before these memories fade completely.”

Many of the photos and records in the book are sourced from community contributions. Over the years, hundreds of images were shared in the Máquina do Tempo do Grande Meyer group.

One name that particularly stood out for Almeida was Augusto Duque Estrada Meyer. “Understanding the Meyer family’s role in the region’s urbanization and how the original ‘y’ spelling was altered made me reflect on the neighborhood’s historical identity.”

The book is now available in two editions: a black-and-white version with a standard cover sold on Amazon, and a colorful, hardcover version available on the Clube de Autores website.

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