Each of the six guitars was crafted using the unique Carcavelos wine barrel mahogany, and all were inspired in different ways by the catastrophe and reconstruction Lisbon experienced in the wake of the 1755 earthquake. From the body shapes to the finishes and tiny details, the guitars are full of references to the life and work of the Marquês de Pombal, the history of the wood, the Carcavelos winemaking tradition and the musical and cultural history of Lisbon and Portugal. As a collection, they represent six totally individual perspectives on destruction and rejuvenation, how we find connections with the past, the power of objects to communicate stories, the Enlightenment, and the course of European musical history.

The luthiers go through the inspiration behind each of their guitars and talk about the design process in the PDF below, also available as a download through Dropbox here.

You can find more images of each guitar in the gallery below. For further photos and other media, please visit the Press & Media page.

If you're interested in exhibiting the collection, the documentary or both together, please contact us through our contact page.