The New Orleans 100

 

Exhibition Explores Sights and Sounds of Former Red-Light District

This advertisement comes from one of the Storyville directories, known as blue books. Storyville was a legally sanctioned red-light district that operated in New Orleans from 1898 until 1917. (Image courtesy of The Historic New Orleans Collection (THNOC), 1969.19.9)

New Orleans wasn’t the first U.S. city with a legalized red-light district, but it did have one of the most famous.

Located north of the French Quarter, “Storyville” was created in an attempt to restrict prostitution to a designated vice district.

For nearly 20 years (1898–1917), the entertainment mecca lured visitors with dining, dancing, live music and sex. Often remembered for its lavish bordellos in mansions clustered along or near Basin Street, these elegant brothels were far outnumbered by “cribs” — crude structures where women worked in sordid conditions.

To learn more, visit THNOC’s Storyville: Madams and Music.

This is the first in a four-part series about Storyville, a legally sanctioned red-light district that operated in New Orleans from 1898 until 1917.

— Teresa Devlin, The Historic New Orleans Collection

 

Tricentennial History: Bouligny

Bouligny's cartographer, Charles Zimpel, created this neighborhood plan in 1834. (Photo courtesy of the National Park Service)

When Louis Bouligny bought a plantation in 1829, he immediately made plans to develop it into a city neighborhood. Once his plans were made, Benjamin Buisson, the surveyor of Lafayette City (the Garden District) named each of the streets.

A former officer in Napoleon’s army, Buisson named the main boulevard after the emperor himself, Napoleon Avenue, and many of the sides streets after his most famous battles (Jena, Milan, Marengo).

Around the same time, the railroad began expanding and ran right through Bouligny, giving the neighborhood an economic boost and inspiring other land owners to create similar subdivisions and neighborhoods.

– Scott Hutcheson, Senior Advisor to the Mayor on the Cultural Economy

 

Tricentennial History: Dew Drop Café

The Dew Drop Café hosted the best music in New Orleans while open in the mid-twentieth century. (Photo courtesy of The Advocate)

Before the Maple Leaf, the Dew Drop Café was the place for jazz and blues players to be. Allen Toussaint, Ray Charles and James Brown, among others, all visited the club while it was open from 1939-1970. People even say that Little Richard first performed “Tutti Fruiti” here in NOLA at the Dew Drop.

Frank Pania opened the café and corresponding inn while disregarding segregation laws, so the club was immediately popular throughout the city. It even hosted the New Orleans Gay Ball each Halloween. Pania and his guests were clearly early adopters of the true New Orleans lifestyle.

Currently, there’s a venue in Mandeville, LA with the same name.

– Scott Hutcheson, Senior Advisor to the Mayor on the Cultural Economy

 

Oral History Project Opens Window into Experiences of Katrina First Responders

A fire engulfs condominiums on Napoleon Avenue. The photographer, Chris Mickal, was a district chief in the New Orleans Fire Department and a founding member of the department’s photo unit. (Gift of Mr. Chris E. Mickal, MSS 571.7.40.699)

One way to understand an event is through the stories of people who were there.

In the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, staff from The Historic New Orleans Collection put together a permanent archive of those stories in the oral history project, “Through Hell and High Water.”

The series, which is accessible online and through THNOC’s Williams Research Center, comprises more than 500 interviews of first responders and volunteers from 15 different local, state and federal agencies that came to the city’s aid.

As New Orleans continues its path toward progress, this resource will help future generations understand those tumultuous days.

– Eli Haddow, The Historic New Orleans Collection

 

300 Years of Resilience

Bruxelles and Broad streets in New Orleans after Hurricane Betsy, Sept. 11, 1965. (Photo courtesy of The Times Picayune)

Over New Orleans’ 300-year history, our city has faced dangerous storms. The first recorded hurricane occurred in 1722, just four years after Bienville founded New Orleans. Undeterred then as we are now, New Orleanians always rebuilt their homes.

Hurricanes have shown no mercy, from Audrey, which claimed 600 lives to Katrina and the 1,836 it took. Despite the damage we’ve experienced, New Orleanians never give up. We always find strength with each other and our city. I’m thankful for our history, because it has brought us together and provided us with the most unique culture in the world.

– Scott Hutcheson, Senior Advisor to the Mayor on the Cultural Economy

 

Women of Note, Featured at the Mint

Billie and Dede Pierce performing at Luthjen's Dance Hall. New Orleans Jazz Museum, featured in the Women of Note Exhibit. 1978.118(B).07230

“History was slow here.”

Michael Ondaatje wrote this line in reference to the birth of jazz in his seminal book “Coming Through Slaughter.” The New Orleans Jazz Museum at the Mint aims to uncover some of the jazz history slower to reveal itself through its new special exhibit, Women of Note, opening August 3. Lil Hardin Armstrong, Blue Lu Barker and Germaine Bazzle’s deep contributions to the jazz landscape have been underrepresented, but will be explored in depth in this illuminating exhibit.

Make sure to check out live performances at Satchmo SummerFest at New Orleans Jazz Museum August 4-6.

– Tricentennial Staff

 

Be a Tourist in Your Own Hometown With Passport to the French Quarter

THNOC Passport to the French Quarter
The Historic New Orleans Collections’s coupon for free guided tours is available through French Quarter Business Association’s Passport to the French Quarter.

As the summer drags on, many New Orleanians begin seeking air-conditioned shelter from the oppressive heat. But there are still plenty of reasons to get out and explore! The city’s oldest neighborhood boasts an array of options for outdoor and indoor fun, and the French Quarter Business Association has your ticket to savings.

Now through Labor Day, more than 60 restaurants, shops and attractions are offering discounts through the FQBA’s Passport to the French Quarter. THNOC is offering 20% off in its museum gift shop and free guided tours of the Williams Residence and the museum’s architecture and courtyards.

– Lauren Noel, The Historic New Orleans Collection

 

Stay Off My Neutral Ground

Historic Canal Street
This rendering of Canal Street in 1857 shows just how much space was needed to keep to peace. (Photo courtesy of Gambit Weekly)

In New Orleans, we love our quirks. From our streets that follow the curve of the river to our food, New Orleans is one of a kind. Perhaps my favorite is our use of the term “neutral ground.”

Originally, only the median dividing Canal Street was dubbed a “neutral ground” because it safely separated the original French Quarter residents from the American newcomers. At one point, a line of tall trees on the neutral ground ensured eye contact wouldn’t be made.

Since then, the trees have come down but the term has remained; a little neutral ground never hurt anyone.

– Scott Hutcheson, Senior Advisor to the Mayor on the Cultural Economy

 

Video From 1950s Full of Pontchartrain Beach Nostalgia

This 1955 video shows the heyday of Pontchartrain Beach. The amusement park, located on the south shore of Lake Pontchartrain, operated from 1928 until 1983 and was one of New Orleans’ most beloved attractions. (The Historic New Orleans Collection, gift of Sue Budde, in memory of her husband, Joe Budde, 2007.0357.4.1)

These summer days have us reminiscing about Pontchartrain Beach. With beaches, restaurants and rides, it was a popular summer destination in New Orleans.

This video, taken by Joe Budde in 1955, highlights some of the park’s most memorable attractions, including the thrilling Zephyr roller coaster, sky-high Ferris wheel with its stunning view of the lake, and a spectacular evening fireworks display. It also showcases some fantastic vintage fashions.

The park closed in 1983 after 55 years of business. For more memorabilia from this New Orleans hot spot, follow The Historic New Orleans Collection this week on Facebook and Instagram.

– Eli A. Haddow, The Historic New Orleans Collection

 

VFW Post, Revitalized

VFW Post 8973 has a long legacy in uptown New Orleans. The Post was named for Alfred E. Flynn, a native of the neighborhood killed in action in during WWII.

After Hurricane Katrina, Post 8973 faced possible extinction. In 2010 though, revitalization began, and in seven years membership has soared to over 300. In November of 2016, they broke ground and began renovations on the Post. Plans for the space include welcoming both veterans and the community for events. Construction is nearly complete, and the proud veterans are anxious to open their doors soon and carry on the Post’s legacy.

– Guy Williams, President and CEO, Gulf Coast Bank & Trust

 

Tricentennial History: Tremé

Tremé continues to be a center of rebirth for the New Orleans community. (Photo courtesy of Green Global Travel)

Tremé is our country’s oldest African-American neighborhood, “back of town” from the French Quarter. This subdivision was created in the 18th century and named after plantation owner Claude Tremé. It was the only area of New Orleans (and the South) where freed slaves could own property in the 19th century.

Congo Square lies at the center of the faubourg, a cultural center from its founding until today. Although the neighborhood declined after the interstate was built, the creation of Armstrong Park and its incorporation of Congo Square helped rejuvenate the area, and Tremé continues to experience rebirth.

– Scott Hutcheson, Senior Advisor to the Mayor on the Cultural Economy

 

Tricentennial History: The Double Dealer

From 1921-1926, The Double Dealer was the South's premier literary magazine. (Photo courtesy of Know Louisiana)

The South is known for many things, but outside of our little world, our literature can often go overlooked. This was even more true in the ’20s, when a group of journalists and poets decided to start The Double Dealer in New Orleans.

The publication featured literary greats like Ernest Hemingway, William Faulkner and Sherwood Anderson, among others. Its goal was to increase the legitimacy of Southern writing and authors. The ’20s was the ideal time for the publication in New Orleans, as many bohemian artists flocked to the French Quarter for its reasonable cost of living and historical significance.

– Scott Hutcheson, Senior Advisor to the Mayor on the Cultural Economy

 

Tricentennial History: Oakley Plantation and John James Audubon

This heron is one of the many birds Audubon features in "Birds of America." (Photo courtesy of Pinterest)

Oakley Plantation may lie closer to Baton Rouge than New Orleans, but one of its most famous inhabitants has deep roots in the Crescent City. John James Audubon lived in the plantation and New Orleans from 1821–1837, sketching wildlife.

While we associate Audubon with New Orleans thanks to the many establishments that bear his name (the zoo, aquarium), he was born in Haiti and lived in France, Pennsylvania and Kentucky before moving to Louisiana. The fame he achieved here can be largely attributed to the creation of his masterpiece “The Birds of America,” which he completed in New Orleans.

– Scott Hutcheson, Senior Advisor to the Mayor on the Cultural Economy

 

Local Museum Continues a Jazz Fest Tradition

Henry Roeland “Professor Longhair" Byrd, New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival; photograph by Michael P. Smith; 1976; © The Historic New Orleans Collection, 2007.0103.2.233

During his nearly 40-year career, photographer Michael P. Smith (1937–2008) immersed himself in New Orleans’ musical culture. At public and private events – from the New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival and concerts to street parades – Smith documented the scenes with his Nikon, and he sold his images at Jazz Fest.

Before his death, Smith selected The Historic New Orleans Collection to be the repository of his archive. THNOC continues the prolific photographer’s legacy by preserving his original material and by making high-quality reproduction prints available at the same booth Smith used in the festival’s Louisiana Artist Tents.

– The Historic New Orleans Collection Staff

 

A Sweet Story and its New Orleans Connection

The original Krispy Kreme (Photo courtesy of krispykreme.com)

During the Great Depression, life was hard for everyone, and Vernon Rudolph was no exception. But at least he had a job helping his Kentucky uncle run his store.

Like many rural general stores, it featured numerous products, including a unique-tasting doughnut made from a secret New Orleans yeast recipe. The uncle wanted Vernon to sell the doughnuts door-to-door. But, Vernon had other ideas.

Along with two partners, Vernon settled in his wife’s hometown of Winston-Salem. He first sold doughnuts out of a 1936 Pontiac and then opened his first store.

He called it Krispy Kreme.

– Ron Smith, The North Carolina 100

 

Tricentennial History: Spanish Influence in the French Quarter

The French Quarter is full of this Spanish detail. (Photo courtesy of NolaLifestyles)

Whenever I stroll through the French Quarter, I notice visitors snapping photos of the gorgeous ironwork accenting the buildings. This architectural feature has become as iconic as beignets and St. Louis Cathedral, so people may be surprised to know that ironwork is not original to many French Quarter homes.

The iron is a 19th-century Victorian addition to homes that previously boasted wooden columns. The intricacies of the ironwork were originally inspired by Spanish architecture that, in turn, was inspired by Spanish lace. Later, French influence appeared with fleur de lis and coquilles. Ironwork’s mixed history is pure New Orleans.

– Scott Hutcheson, Senior Advisor to the Mayor on the Cultural Economy

 

Hidden Gems at THNOC: Rare Edition of “Uncle Tom’s Cabin”

Are you looking closely?

This 1853 copy of “Uncle Tom’s Cabin” from The Historic New Orleans Collection’s holdings bares a secret in its pages: a rare, fore-edge painting of a steamboat race between the Natchez and the Eclipse, on a moonlit river.

In a fore-edge painting, the artist paints on the free edge of a book, making the image visible only when the pages are slightly fanned. While the book rests flat, the painting disappears. The technique was popular in England during the 18th and 19th centuries, but American scenes like this are scarce.

Follow THNOC on Instagram for more hidden gems.

– Eli Haddow, The Historic New Orleans Collection

 

Discovering Clarence John Laughlin, a New Orleans Master and American Pioneer

The Iron Faces; between 1941 and 1975; gelatin silver print by Clarence John Laughlin (Photo courtesy of The Clarence John Laughlin Archive at The Historic New Orleans Collection, 1981.247.1.1661 ©THNOC)

Louisiana photographer Clarence John Laughlin ranks among the great artists of New Orleans and the pioneers of American surrealist and experimental photography.

Laughlin produced more than 17,000 images in his lifetime and collected a trove of letters and hundreds of photographs through correspondence with his peers. Though he remained engaged with the artistic community, the romantic tinge of his images diverged from, and sometimes clashed with, the mid-century modernist movement.

Now through Saturday, March 25, visitors can discover Laughlin and his influence at an exhibition at The Historic New Orleans Collection, which owns the artist’s extensive personal archive.

– Eli Haddow, The Historic New Orleans Collection

 

Reproductions from THNOC on View in New Smithsonian Museum

Fats Domino and Dave Bartholomew; 1957; by Franck-Bertacci Photographers; THNOC, 1994.94.2.2286

The Historic New Orleans Collection reproduced 10 images for the Smithsonian’s new National Museum of African American History and Culture in Washington, D.C. As the only national museum devoted exclusively to the documentation of African American life, history and culture, its opening follows decades of efforts to promote and highlight African Americans’ contributions.

Some of the items from THNOC include “Hauling the Whole Weeks Picking,” an 1842 watercolor by William Henry Brown; “Portrait of Betsy,” a painting of a free woman of color by François Fleischbein, and this photograph of Fats Domino and Dave Bartholomew by Franck-Bertacci Photographers.

— The Historic New Orleans Collection Staff

 

Tricentennial History: The Shotgun House

2222 Camp was featured in the Shotgun House Tour 2016. (Photo courtesy of Preservation Resource Center (PRC) and Sara Essex Bradley)

The shotgun house illustrates the history of New Orleans and its community. Here are three quick examples:

1. Like many New Orleanians, the origins of the shotgun house are unknown, but research indicates that many homes in the West Indies have similarly shaped rooms and ceiling heights. This architecture may have carried over as people migrated to New Orleans.

2. Per some theories, cultures that produced shotgun houses were gregarious and open, like the architectural concept they adopted.

3. While shotguns today are sought after, in 1929 they were considered distasteful and “jammed up together, like lumber in a pile.”

– Scott Hutcheson, Senior Advisor to the Mayor on the Cultural Economy

 

Tradition Reigns on Mardi Gras Day

Video courtesy of THNOC, 1978.24.2

This home movie of the 1937 Rex parade was shot by The Historic New Orleans Collection’s founder, Gen. Lewis Kemper Williams.

The parade theme that year was “Nature, The First Inventor,” and this segment shows Rex (Albert Barnett Paterson) toasting the crowd. THNOC catalogers believe it was recorded near 2525 St. Charles Ave. On Tuesday, Feb. 28th — 80 years after this film was recorded — crowds will gather at the same spot to see 2017’s King of Carnival.

THNOC’s archive includes thousands of films on subjects as varied as Mardi Gras Indians, the Sugar Bowl and the 1963 March on Washington.

— The Historic New Orleans Collection Staff

 

Rare Recordings From Mahalia Jackson Featured in New CD

"Moving On Up a Little Higher" by Mahalia Jackson (Shanachie Entertainment, 2016)

For the first time in 40 years, fans can listen to new music from gospel great Mahalia Jackson.

The CD “Moving On Up a Little Higher” (Shanachie Entertainment) presents 22 rare recordings, half of which—as well as several images—were sourced from the William Russell Jazz Collection at The Historic New Orleans Collection.

As a jazz historian, Russell focused on the music of New Orleans, including jazz, brass bands, ragtime and gospel. Jackson, a Crescent City native, moved to Chicago at 16 and began performing with the Greater Salem Baptist Choir, ultimately gaining worldwide fame for her passionate performances.

– The Historic New Orleans Collection Staff

 

Congo Square’s 10th Annual Rhythms Festival

Congo Square Rhythms Festival is a celebration of music and history in New Orleans. (Photo courtesy of Gason Ayinsin)

Next weekend, Armstrong Park will host the 10th annual Congo Square Rhythms Festival, celebrating the music and culture of African diaspora in New Orleans.

Congo Square has been a gathering place for cultural events since before New Orleans’ founding, when Native Americans celebrated corn feasts near the square. Slaves and later freed African Americans would sing and dance together every Sunday in the Square, because they could speak their native languages and practice their religions.

The Congo Square Preservation Society has been the major catalyst in both the continuation of activities in historic Congo Square and the Annual Rhythms Festival.

– Sarah H. Centorino, The New Orleans 100

 

WWL-TV’s Eye on Carnival: Gallier Hall History

Gallier Hall has hosted toasts, tributes and floats for 160 years. (Photo courtesy of The New Orleans Public Library)

Parade-viewing stands for Mardi Gras are going up in front of Gallier Hall, a home base for WWL-TV’s Fat Tuesday coverage and a cornerstone in Carnival history.

For 160 years, kings and queens have exchanged toasts with the mayor and other dignitaries there. The building became City Hall in 1853. The Russian Grand Duke Alexis Romanoff watched the first Rex parade there in 1872, and the Duke and Duchess of Windsor were guests in 1950. A $5 million effort is underway to restore the interior in time for the tricentennial.

Get the 2017 Mardi Gras parade schedule here.

– Dominic Massa, WWL-TV Executive Producer

 

The Goddesses of Carnival

Iris celebrates its 100th anniversary this year! (Photo courtesy of Maggie Connick)

Les Mysterieuses, Carnival’s first female group, was founded in 1896 — presenting a ball and attracting media attention. Two decades later, the group that would become the Krewe of Iris was founded in 1917.

These pioneering female krewes paved the way for a new sphere for women in Mardi Gras. Along the way, more female societies and parading krewes like the Pussyfooters joined the fray.

This year, in honor of Iris’ 100th anniversary, the Louisiana State Museum will feature female krewes with an exhibition titled Iris and the Goddesses of Carnival, in partnership with the Krewes of Iris, Muses and Nyx.

– Arthur Hardy, “Arthur Hardy’s Mardi Gras Guide”

 

From Glass to Plastic: A (Brief) History of Mardi Gras Beads

Glass beads were once the most prevalent type of throw in parades. (Photo courtesy of Anna LeDonne)

We are all familiar with the purple, green and gold beads that are thrown from floats every year. Krewes purchase these plastic beads by the gross and chuck them with abandon.

Plastic beads rose to popularity as recently as the 1960s. The first recorded bead “throw” occurred in the mid- to late-1800s. Then, however, krewes threw beads created with handmade glass from Czechoslovakia. These more delicate beads were supplanted by the plastic throws that now account for over $11.8 million in sales.

You can still find traces of these glass beads during certain walking parades throughout the season.

– Sarah H. Centorino, The New Orleans 100

 

Restoring a New Orleans Landmark

The interior of Gallier Hall is historic and jaw-dropping. (Photo courtesy of 2018 NOLA Tricentennial)

Because of unfortunate damage to Gallier Hall’s iconic granite facade, a full forensic architectural analysis revealed the need for extensive renovations to the historic building. This realization, coupled with its architectural importance, made the preservation of this landmark an ideal undertaking for the 2018 Tricentennial Legacy Project.

Gallier Hall served as City Hall for over a century and the restoration extends to its elegant interiors and historic collection of paintings and decorative objects, many of them gifts from foreign governments.

The vast interior and exterior refurbishments have already begun with the intention of restoring it for generations to come.

– Scott Hutcheson, 2018 NOLA Tricentennial

 

Historic New Orleans Collection Resurrects “A Life in Jazz”

“A Life in Jazz” by Danny Barker, illustrated edition; edited by Alyn Shipton with a new introduction by Gwen Thompkins; published by The Historic New Orleans Collection (2016) (Jacket photograph by Milt Hinton; book design by Alison Cody)

In December, The Historic New Orleans Collection released a new illustrated edition of “A Life in Jazz” by Danny Barker (1909–1994). Originally published in 1986 and featuring Barker’s wry and rollicking writing style, the memoir chronicles his 60-year career as a banjoist, guitarist and songwriter.

Barker toured with Cab Calloway, performed with Dizzy Gillespie, appeared on more than 1,000 recordings, and penned dozens of songs. He is also credited with saving New Orleans’s brass band tradition.

This volume features 115 images, a complete discography, and a previously unpublished song catalog, and an introduction by journalist Gwen Thompkins.

– Teresa Devlin, The Historic New Orleans Collection

 

Kickoff to the New Orleans Tricentennial

2018 marks the 300th anniversary of the founding of New Orleans. (Photo courtesy of the 2018 NOLA Tricentennial)

While 2017 is just beginning, 2018 NOLA Tricentennial Commission is already looking to the next year, New Orleans’ 300th anniversary. With the Tricentennial, we celebrate generations of New Orleanians who have made us one of the world’s most authentic cities.

Look for Tricentennial tidbits in each issue of The New Orleans 100 as we glimpse into our history, marveling at what once was and what our future will be.

The Tricentennial not only marks where we have been, but sets the course for where we are going. Help us commemorate this milestone, and learn more about our upcoming events here.

– Scott Hutcheson, Senior Advisor to the Mayor on the Cultural Economy

 

Ochsner Celebrates 75 Years of Changing and Saving Lives

Ochsner Founders (from left to right): Francis E. “Duke” LeJeune Sr., MD; Edgar Burns, MD; Curtis Tyrone, MD; Guy Caldwell, MD; Alton Ochsner, MD

Seventy-five years ago, Dr. Alton Ochsner and four colleagues opened New Orleans’ first multi-specialty group practice.

Since 1942, our vision to develop a healthcare model that ensured top quality, comprehensive care for patients in south Louisiana along with our commitment to prioritizing patients remains. Ochsner has been a leader on the forefront of clinical research and innovation – linking cigarette smoking to lung cancer decades ago, to now arming patients with the latest wearable technology to manage chronic conditions.

We are proud of our accomplishments and look forward to shaping the future as a national and global healthcare destination.

– Warner Thomas, President and CEO, Ochsner Health System