A watershed moment in the national press. Cosmopolitan and sophisticated, the magazine O Cruzeiro came to light already with great fanfare. Days before it hit the newsstands, in 1928, four million flyers were thrown from the top of buildings in downtown Rio, announcing the novelty. A variety magazine, it presented the freshness of a graphic design that injected boldness into the Brazilian publishing market, with great emphasis on photos and images, and the good quality of printing and paper.
Image description: This is a black-and-white photograph of a man. He is seated, with short, neatly trimmed hair. His expression is neutral. He wears a light-colored blazer and a white shirt with a black-and-white tie. The background is blurred, suggesting he is in an indoor setting.O repórter David Nasser. Wikimedia Commons
It also represented renewal in terms of content, presenting a much broader focus of interests than was standard in other publications of the time. Behavioral topics and commemorative dates appeared on its pages alongside political themes and international coverage. It brought a new language to Brazilian magazines, with its emphasis on photojournalism, which created reporter-photographer duos. Its most famous duo was formed by David Nasser and Jean Manzon.
Image description: This is a black-and-white photograph of a standing man. He is wearing a suit with a blazer and a dress shirt. The background appears to be a window with bars.O repórter fotográfico Jean Manzon. Arquivo Nacional. Fundo Agência Nacional
It is very common to associate the genesis of O Cruzeiro with the businessman Assis Chateaubriand. But the truth is that the original idea for the magazine came from the Portuguese journalist Carlos Malheiro Dias, who handed control of its publication over to Chatô due to a lack of financial resources. While there is no doubt about the weekly's innovative character, on the other hand, its at times polemical and controversial role is also undeniable, such as its support for Getúlio Vargas's Aliança Liberal and the story full of twists and turns stemming from that involvement, including the famous disagreements between Vargas and Chateaubriand.
Image description: The image is a colored illustration from a magazine called "Cruzeiro Revista Semanal Ilustrada." In the upper left corner, we see the number "1" inside a white circle with a dollar sign. The illustration shows a woman with short, styled hair, wearing large white star-shaped earrings. She is smiling and holding a bunch of yellow flowers near her mouth. White stars are also arranged in her hair and behind her head. The background is dark, highlighting the woman's figure.Capa da primeira edição de O Cruzeiro. 10 de novembro de 1928. Wikimedias Commons
The magazine experienced its golden years in the 1940s, when it published texts by authors such as Rachel de Queiroz, José Lins do Rego, Gilberto Freyre, Joel Silveira, and Nelson Rodrigues. The humor column Pif-Paf, by Millôr Fernandes, was a great success, as was the cartoon Amigo da Onça, by Péricles.
O Cruzeiro went through some years of decline until it ceased publication in 1975. A few years later, under the management of new businessmen, it returned to newsstands for a while, but without the vigor and charm of the past.
