The document archive includes an expressive collection of correspondence, illustrated postcards, notes, diaries, accounts and official documents, among other items, that reflect the family, emotional, professional and biographical life of Rafael Bordalo Pinheiro.
Related to the history of the museum and the collection as a whole, three important collections are stand out: that of Cruz Magalhães, founder of the museum, relating to the period 1914-1928; that of the Bordalo Pinheiro Museum’s Friends and Supporters Group, between 1920-1945; and that of Julieta Ferrão, the first director of the museum. The collection brings together around 3,250 documents.