[9] But his principal contribution to the history of Brazilian photography is his photographic record of the different social classes in Brazil in the 19th century: portraits, usually in the carte de visite format, taken of the nobility, of rich tradesmen, of the middle-class, and of black people, either slaves or free,[2] in a period before the Lei Áurea.

As soon as the first world maps showing Brazil were printed in the Renaissance era of Albrecht Dürer, the recently discovered country aroused the interest of the German public.

[3] Among the first attractions were the enthusiastic descriptions and illustrations[10] of the Indians, the exotic landscapes, the abundance of wild animals and the new species of plants[3] first conveyed in the works of Hans Staden.

Launched in the Years of 1817 to 1821 and Published by the Order of His Majesty the Emperor of Austria Franscisco First),[11] in which he describes his journey through the country with wonder and enthusiasm, his words accompanied by luxuriant illustrations.

Willingly hovers the fantasy on the future of such charming country, that is at present little developed and, so to speak, does not have a past.—Johann Emmanuel Pohl[12]Certainly these narrations and illustrations were the principal attractions for those German photographers of the 19th century that moved to Brazil, such as Revert Henrique Klumb, Augusto Stahl, Karl Ernst Papf, and Alberto Henschel.

[13] Henschel and his associate Karl Heinrich Gutzlaff disembarked in Recife in May 1866, intending to create a photographic studio on Imperador street, number 38.

[1] Initially named Alberto Henschel & Cia, the studio became Photographia Allemã (German Photography), next changing to a new address on the Matriz de Santo Antônio square, number 2.

There is almost no family album where no portraits of grandparents were done by Alberto Henschel.Henschel participated in many exhibitions of photographs, standing out in the exposition of the Imperial Academy of Fine Arts in 1872 and 1875,[4] for which he received the Gold Medal in the first edition.

[16] His arrival in São Paulo was considered important because, besides being holder of the prestigious title of Photographo da Casa Imperial, he came directly from the Court.

However, his companies, under the command of other businessmen, continued to strategically use his name for many years, taking advantage of the great prestige that the mark "Henschel" had acquired.