Glimpsing the Anthropocene: photographs of the implementation of the Northwestern of Brazil railway in the state of São Paulo

The early twentieth century saw the start of a new railway construction in Bauru, a small town in the interior of the state of São Paulo, Brazil. This major undertaking—which necessitated clearing centennial trees for the tracks and for locomotive fuel and led to the displacement of local communities (namely the Kaingang)—was comprehensively documented in hundreds of photographs (kept in Bauru’s Railway Museum). Despite their unique details, these images shared the standard themes—or representations—present in similar photographic collections of railway building and cultural encounters with the Other. Moving past these expected meanings, this article critically examines the photographs for involuntary confessions, that is, those unintended messages present in the pictures that the photographers did not mean to send. We argue these images reveal glimpses of an unconscious foreshadowing of the Great Acceleration and create visual dissonances that challenge the dominant, optimistic narrative surrounding technological progress and its real consequences. Through this work, we advocate for the wider use of photography in historical studies and public discussion, aiming to stimulate critical thinking about dominant versions of public narratives and history.