Natural rubber is a solid product obtained through coagulating the latex produced by certain plants, particularly the Brazilian rubber-tree (Hevea Brasiliensis). This raw material is usually tapped from the rubber tree, which is native to Amazonia. Although there a large number of species that exude secretions similar to latex when the bark is cut, only a few produce sufficient quantities of a quality adequate for exploitation on economic bases.

The history of natural rubber in Brazil is a tale that is just as exciting as the Gold Rush in the USA. For almost fifty years – during the second half of the XIX century through to the second decade of the XX century – natural rubber underpinned one of the most important development booms in Brazil. At that time, the Industrial Revolution was expanding rapidly as the world lived through a time of prosperity and discoveries that was reflected in all sectors. Automobiles, trams, telephones, electric light and other innovations changed the landscapes and customs of towns and cities. New markets opened up. This was the Belle Époque period, whose splendor has been portrayed in literature and film for subsequent generations.

Thanks to its multiple applications, particularly in the expanding automobile industry, rubber produced from latex tapped from rubber-trees became a product in demand worldwide. And there was no lack of rubber-trees in the Brazilian Amazon. This brought a boom to Northern Brazil – which at that time was one of the poorest and least-inhabited parts of the country. Eager to work the rubber-groves of Amazonia, leading foreign banks and companies set up shop in the towns of Belém and Manaus.

The capital of Amazonia State become the economic heart of Brazil. It was equipped with water and electricity supplies, in addition to telephones and large buildings such as the Amazonia Theater, still today a symbol of the wealth brought in by Brazil’s rubber boom. Thousands of immigrants flowed in, mainly fleeing the drought that assailed Northeast