School photographs: studying the history of a school institution and educational practices based on images

Studies of school photographs open up multiple analysis opportunities. The goal of this paper is to present the study carried out at Escola Polivalente located in Osorio, Brazil, based on the images available in its photographic records. There are over one thousand photographs in total, but this study focuses on a group of 767, taken between 1970 and 1990. To understand the history of the institution and its educational practices, it was necessary to peruse the entire photographic records. Therefore, the collection was categorised and organised in line with certain theoretical and methodological references, which we shall reflect on.