The first book covers the early development of the city centre; the second, precious scenes from surrounding districts; the third, beach recreations and fashions; the fourth charts the evolution of the quotidian, touring traditional carioca spaces, such as squares, parks and schools; the fifth covers sports recreations; the sixth, various leisure activities, including ballets, operas and strolls along the Lagoa (Lagoon); the seventh is dedicated to Carnival; the eighth tracks construction works that enabled the growth and splendor of the city today - Each 32 page book also contains a poster which readers can remove and use at their leisure.  

Published by Companhia das Letras Rio de Janeiro, Cidade Mestiça (Rio de Janeiro, Mestizo City) by Jean-Baptiste Debret, is an iconographic repertoire of early 19th-century Rio de Janeiro that depicts the everyday aspects of colonial Brazil.