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Culture · Funchal · 2 November 2026

Caricatures from the Liceu: a 1944-1945 album preserves student humour

A caricature album from the Jaime Moniz Lyceum, dated 1944-1945, reveals student satire and camaraderie under a strict political climate.

A November feature from the Jaime Moniz Library collection is an album of caricatures from the 1944-1945 school year. It gathers satirical portraits of some students in the 5th, 6th and 7th years, along with members of the school's management and teaching staff.

Unlike the yearbooks of the 1960s and 1970s, which usually focused only on graduating students, this album also includes younger pupils, suggesting broader participation in school life. The collection appears incomplete, however, as it does not cover most of the students enrolled at those levels.

Each caricature is accompanied by humorous verses describing physical traits, personality and small eccentricities. Made of loose sheets tied with a cord, the album preserves student humour and satire in a period shaped by the discipline of the Estado Novo.

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