With the same dedication that he gave to his business dealings, Medeiros e Almeida became directly involved in building the collection when he defined its main guidelines and began playing an active role in all the acquisitions. For around half a century, Medeiros e Almeida amassed a vast set of very eclectic works of art, which fall into the decorative arts category.

This trend is related to a style that spanned the first half of the 20th century in Portugal and that is reflected in other contemporary collections. The collection is characterised by its cosmopolitan nature, but a conservative attitude can also be identified, one which led him to take a particular interest in the 17th, 18th and 19th centuries, and which resulted in practically no contemporary art being included.

Now, 20 years after publication of the first edition, this new edition of the Museum’s general catalogue contains newly updated information.