Volume XXV, Number 2 Spring 2008

In t h e Spirit: Th e Ph o t o g r a p h y o f Mi c h a e l P. Smi t h

The HistoricChief Allison New “Tootie” Orleans Montana, Collection Yellow Pocahontas, Quarterly 1 Mardi Gras Indian Tribe (2007.103.2.189)

In t h e Spirit: Th e Ph o t o g r a p h y o f Mi c h a e l P. Smi t h

onsider the following items: an audio cassette of a Mardi Gras Indian practice session; a printed schedule for the matches at Cormier’s Cock Pit in Cankton, Louisiana; stage passes to the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival; and photographs Cof brass bands in Santiago, Cuba. These objects represent the many and varied interests of photographer Michael P. Smith, whose archive was acquired by The Historic New Orleans Collection in 2007. Smith (b. 1937) is known especially for his closely observed and penetrating photographs of New Orleans’s home- grown musicians and the culture surrounding them. Several books exploring aspects of his photography have been published, and numerous exhibitions of his works have been presented. Smith’s photographic works— combined with his many personal appearances at conferences, concerts, and festivals around the world— have secured his legacy as both a photographer and cultural investigator. Because of a physically debilitating medical condition, Smith ceased photographing in recent years. His archive of prints, transparencies, and negatives, the core of his life’s work as a photographer, is now housed at the Williams Research Center, along with over 50 boxes of supporting materials, including personal and business papers, research notes, runs of serials, and printed ephemera.

2 Volume XXV, Number 2 — Spring 2008 The Historic New Orleans Collection Quarterly 3 2 Volume XXV, Number 2 — Spring 2008 The Historic New Orleans Collection Quarterly 3 Smith saw each photograph as the culmination of a process—not just the optical, mechanical, and chemical pro- cess of producing an image from an experience, but a cultural process as well. Smith’s research into the subjects he photographed made him part detec- tive, part folklorist, and part cultural anthropologist, with a profound abil- ity to capture the essence of the things he observed. For cataloguing purposes the photographs have been divided into the following subject categories: New Orleans spiritualist churches, funerals, social aid and pleasure clubs, perform- ers and performances, the Jazz & Heri- tage Festival, and Mardi Gras Indians. Although convenient for describing the variety of the work and for organizing it, these categories are nonetheless artifi- cial. Michael P. Smith’s own choice for sorting his work was not topical but lin- ear and chronological: each roll of film is numbered consecutively, and indi- vidual pictures are identified by their frame number. Though 35mm film (in both negatives and slides) is the domi- nant format in the archive, there are small pockets of work done in medium- format roll film and 4"x 5" sheet film. In keeping a chronological record of his work, Smith shows not only the rich- Binding for Baptism, Holy Family Spiritual Church, 1973 (2007.103.2.9)

ness of the culture that fascinated him, but its cyclical nature and interrelated- ness. The public aspects of New Orleans music—Sunday church services, march- ing parades, Mardi Gras Indian appear- ances, festivals, and funeral proces- sions—are sprinkled throughout the cal- endar, with many of the same musicians and members of the community partici- pating in each. Set against the backdrop of distinctive neighborhoods and archi- tecture, these traditions form a unique urban identity, which Smith defined as “the cultural wetlands” of New Orleans. In an active career that spanned from the late 1960s to the early years of the 21st century, Smith devoted the greater Brass Band, Cuba, 1999 (2007.103.2.401) 4 Volume XXV, Number 2 — Spring 2008 4 Volume XXV, Number 2 — Spring 2008 Reverend Mother Lydia Gilford, 1974 (2007.103.2.62)

Israelite Spiritual Church, 1973 (2007.103.4.26)

“Dute” Lazard Funeral, 1995 (2007.103.2.129) The Historic New Orleans Collection Quarterly 5 The Historic New Orleans Collection Quarterly 5 ures passed away, and younger genera- tions transformed existing traditions, sometimes seamlessly. The photo- graphs and supplementary materials document specific episodes of life in New Orleans, but in the aggregate they chronicle the nearly impercep- tible changes that transform culture while still maintaining traditions. For these reasons and others, Smith’s archive, though quite recent by tem- poral standards, represents a whole that cannot be effectively recreated. It is the chronicle of an era. The Michael P. Smith Archive is now available for consultation at the Williams Research Center, 410 Char- The Bucket Men Annual Parade (Sudan Social Aid and Pleasure Club), 1987 (2007.103.2.96) tres Street. Processing of the prints, part of his energies to understanding The loss of life and cultural transparencies, negatives, audio tapes, and recording—both in photographs property precipitated by Hurricane and papers is ongoing. Plans for a and on audiotapes—aspects of New Katrina and the flooding and dis- spring 2009 retrospective of Smith’s Orleans’s cultural individuality. placement that followed serve as career are underway. Additionally, he produced pho- reminders of the fragility of a cul- —John H. Lawrence tographs commissioned by others. ture. A number of the locations and As a member of the Black Star individuals in Smith’s photographs Agency, Smith accepted a wide range were affected by the storm. The of commercial assignments, taking disruption of lives and destruction him from corporate headquarters to of buildings certainly altered New By Mi c h a e l P. Sm i t h deep-water drilling platforms in the Orleans’s musical environment, but Gulf of Mexico. Examples of his cultural changes had been happen- All books in the following list were commercial work are also included in ing throughout the time of Smith’s published by Pelican Publishing the archive. photographic career. Important fig- Company and are available at The Shop at The Collection with the exception of A Joyful Noise, which is out of print.

A Joyful Noise: A Celebration of New Orleans Music (1990)

New Orleans Jazz Fest: A Pictorial History (1991)

Spirit World: Pattern in the Expressive Folk Culture of African- American New Orleans (1992)

Mardi Gras Indians by Michael P. Smith and Alan B. Govenar (1994)

Jazz Fest Memories by Michael P. Smith and Allison Miner (1997)

Roosevelt Sykes, Jazz Fest, 1973 (2007.103.2.200) 6 Volume XXV, Number 2 — Spring 2008 6 Volume XXV, Number 2 — Spring 2008 Up c o m i n g Ev e n t s

Co n c e r t s i n t h e Co u r t y a r d p r e s e n t s Va v a v o o m Winner of the Big Easy Award for Best Emerging Band of 2007 Fr i d a y , Ju n e 20 533 Ro y a l St r e e t • 5:30–8:00 p m Fr o m t h e Di r e c t o r Admission is $10 at the door; free for THNOC members n a decade, New Orleans will mark its third The Collection concludes its spring series of concerts and cocktails with music century of existence. While it is obvious that by Vavavoom. Vavavoom calls its music “a synthesis of New Orleans jazz and Ithe city today is different in nearly every way the French Gypsy tradition of Django Reinhardt.” Guitarists Raphaël Bas from la Nouvelle-Orléans of the 18th century, and Pierre Pichon have been playing together since high school in Bourges, the proximity of the Mississippi River has been France. Both emigrated to the United States more than 10 years ago. Bart a constant. The river provides New Orleans’s Ramsey (piano, accordion) has performed for audiences on three continents, reason for existence, as well as a continual threat several islands, and one isthmus. Nathan Lambertson (stand-up bass) is a New to its survival. Through engineering feats that Orleans native and has played with Alvin Batiste, Nicholas Payton, Ravi Col- are hard to imagine, the threat has been miti- trane, Trombone Shorty, Steve Masakowski, David Torkanowsky, and Jason gated, but not entirely. As this is written, the Marsalis. For more information, see www.vavavoomband.com. Concerts in gates of the Bonnet Carré Spillway, closed since the Courtyard will resume in September. 1997, have once again been opened to lessen the volume of water passing through New Orleans and putting pressure on our levees. h The Crescent City’s relationship with its Te n t h An n u a l Ge n e a l o g y Wo r k s h o p watery environment is explored in the current Williams Gallery exhibition, Surrounded by Tr a c i n g Yo u r It a l i a n He r i t a g e Water: New Orleans, the Mississippi River, and Ju n e DeLa l i o Lake Pontchartrain (extended through Septem- Sa t u r d a y , Au g u s t 23 ber 20). The lake also remains a geographic anchor, with ever-changing roles—once promi- Wi l l i a ms Re s e a r c h Ce n t e r , 410 Ch a r t r e s St r e e t nent in the commercial development of the 8:00 a m –4:00 p m region, more recently a pleasure destination. The spillway’s release of quantities of fresh water h into Lake Pontchartrain will cause yet another change. The drop in salinity will be a temporary consequence of this act, and creatures living in or near the affected areas will accommodate the alteration in different ways. The transformations of our natural envi- ronment provide context for comprehending the struggles of humans throughout history and offer a guide to facing future challenges. Forces, both natural and unnatural, produce changes to which living creatures must adapt. As we adapt to the catastrophic changes inflicted by post-Katrina flooding and strive to protect the city from further flooding, The Historic New Orleans Collection’s mission of preserving the Tom Sancton (center) performed at the first Concert in the Courtyard, which was sponsored by Stiletto history of our lives and our region has never Vodka. been more meaningful. —Priscilla Lawrence The Historic New Orleans Collection Quarterly 7 The Historic New Orleans Collection Quarterly 7 An Exhibition at the New Orleans Museum of Art

Left to right: Louisiana Fishing Industry and French Market by Hans Mangelsdorf, 1930s (2007.0137.3) Old Slave Block at the St. Louis Hotel, New Orleans by George Frederick Castleden, 1928 (1997.19.38) Bateaux à vapeur géants by Hippolyte Victor Valentin Sebron, 1850 (1958.14) Children on a Stoop by Robert Malcolm Rucker, 1970s (LN323), Laura Simon Nelson Collection New Orleans: A Sense of Place Elegant Lady Preparing for an Afternoon Call by Paul E. Poincy, 1886 (2006.0204.9)

New Orleanians’ passion and appre- spans 150 years of the city’s history, yards, fan windows, balconies, arches, scores the central role of the Missis- she would leave a calling card; an 1886 women, one with a banjo, the other ciation for their distinctive history and from 1850 to the present, comprises louvered shutters, staircases, and slate sippi River in the settlement of the calling-card glass etched with the name with a tambourine. The partially hidden culture have intensified in the after- more than 40 oil paintings by over 30 roofs. The quarter served as a muse for Louisiana colony and the subsequent E. D. LeBreton, father of New Orleans woman in white is undoubtedly Sister math of Hurricane Katrina. Local resi- artists, along with a selection of decora- Clarence Millet, who painted scenes of development of New Orleans. Rolland actress Frances “Fanny” Bienvenu Hunt, Gertrude Morgan, a well-known street dents hearken to a subconscious voice, tive-arts materials and books. the Vieux Carré from the 1920s to the Golden’s Dockworkers, a 1960 portrayal is featured in the exhibition. preacher at the time. reciting the ancient aphorism “Know Among the artists showcased are 1950s. In Antique Shop, New Orleans, of muscular African American laborers Daily life in the French Quarter is Major landmarks no longer a part thyself.” Appropriately, The Historic George Frederick Castleden, Davis Cone, Millet shows an artist sitting on a Royal handling cargo, was rendered soon after evident in Robert Rucker’s 1970s Chil- of New Orleans’s streetscape can yet be New Orleans Collection and the New Alexander Drysdale, Leonard Flettrich, Street sidewalk, drawing in a sketch- he completed art training with John dren on a Stoop and Joseph Konopka’s seen on the walls of the museum. Davis Orleans Museum of Art are presenting Rolland Golden, Robert Wadsworth book while passers-by view merchandise McCrady (see page 17). The painting 1998 House Decorated for Mardi Gras. Cone’s view of the Orleans Theater on their third joint exhibition, titled New Grafton, Simon Gunning, Shirley Rabé deposited on the sidewalk. reveals McCrady’s influence on Golden’s Gideon Townsend Stanton and Homer Rampart Street is a reminder of the long Orleans: A Sense of Place. Opening May Masinter, Clarence Millet, Paul Poincy, The French Market, a Vieux Carré early work, as well as Golden’s awareness E. Turner depict rainy nights on Canal tradition of theater in the city, dating 10, the show offers vignettes of life in Noel Rockmore, Hippolyte Sebron, landmark, fills the canvases of both his- of Thomas Hart Benton’s undulating Street, while Jacques Soulas portrays the back to the late 18th century. Edith New Orleans. The exhibition, which Gideon Townsend Stanton, Marion toric and contemporary artists. Simon regionalist paintings. George Frederick same thoroughfare, busy in the daytime, Sansum’s Old Newcomb Chapel and Ells- Souchon, Jacques Soulas, Ellsworth Gunning portrays the market, Wash- Castleden’s 1928 Old Slave Block at the with a red streetcar traveling along the worth Woodward’s Lotus Fountain show Woodward, and William Wood- ington Artillery Park, and the Moon- St. Louis Hotel, executed a decade after neutral ground. Several genre scenes the Newcomb College campus at Wash- ward. The books on display under- walk along the Mississippi River with the hotel was demolished, points to a depict people at work or at leisure. ington and Camp Streets before its 1917 score the city’s rich literary history. Jackson Square and St. Louis Cathedral haunting aspect of Louisiana’s history. In August 1927 Alexander Drysdale move to Broadway Avenue. Included are novels by Pulitzer Prize completing the picture in his oversized The exhibition also presents works departed from painting misty bayou New Orleans: A Sense of Place winners Shirley Ann Grau and John view from a Pontalba balcony titled illustrating New Orleans’s rich cul- scenes to portray his barefoot son, reflects the interconnected facets of life Kennedy Toole, as well as fiction Jax No. 2. William Woodward, Robert tural traditions, many of which are of Walden, sitting on a verandah beside a in this culturally rich city. The undeni- and nonfiction by George Washing- Grafton, and Hans Mangelsdorf capture European origin. Paul Poincy’s 1886 puppy. Homer E. Turner depicts a group able uniting thread is a focus on the con- ton Cable, Hodding Carter, Kate the quaintness of this center of local life. genre scene, Elegant Lady Preparing for of men playing a game of checkers in a tinued artistic environment of the Vieux Chopin, Frances Parkinson Keyes, Woodward depicts the colonnaded mar- an Afternoon Call, illustrates the 19th- moment of quiet contemplation. Shir- Carré. By looking closely at our found- Grace King, Clarence John Laugh- ket in 1904; Grafton’s colorful 1916 mar- century social custom of calling on ley Rabé Masinter’s large canvas, with ing roots, New Orleanians may discover lin, Stuart M. Lynn, Walker Percy, ket scene shows a woman wearing a red friends and business associates of one’s its graffiti-scrawled building, focuses on the path that leads from self-knowledge Anne Rice, and Lyle Saxon. shawl, her body turned from the viewer family. This custom features promi- inner-city blight. A 1972 scene by Noel toward resurgence. A Sense of Place The Vieux Carré anchors the as she shops for produce; Mangelsdorf’s nently in Kate Chopin’s 1899 novel, Rockmore titled Gospel Singers shows continues on view through August 31 at city’s identity and has inspired 1930s mural-like composition, Louisiana The Awakening, also on display. In four people on the sidewalk outside the New Orleans Museum of Art, which artists for centuries. Accordingly, Fishing Industry, focuses on the fatigued Poincy’s painting, the setting and the Preservation Hall. The foremost woman is open Wednesday, noon to 8:00 p.m., many of the paintings showcased in workers who display their catch. woman’s clothing suggest a comfortable holds her songbook high, thus blocking and Thursday through Sunday, 10:00 A Sense of Place provide glimpses of Hippolyte Sebron’s 1850 levee social status. If the host or hostess was the face of a woman in white who stands a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Antique Shop, New Orleans by Clarence Millet, 1927 (1962.2) French Quarter architecture: court- scene, Bateaux à vapeur géants, under- not at home to receive a visitor, he or behind her. Two men stand behind the —Judith H. Bonner

8 Volume XXV, Number 2 — Spring 2008 The Historic New Orleans Collection Quarterly 9 Portrait of unknown New Orleans sitter by Louis Antoine Collas, 1823, courtesy of Elle Shushan Court cupboard, 1660–80, Virginia, courtesy of the Museum of Early Southern Decorative Arts Tea service, manufactory of Jacob Petit (active 1833–66), Paris, collection of the New Orleans Museum of Art: Anita Nolan Pitot Fund Captain John Purves and his wife, Anne Pritchard, by Henry Benbridge, 1775–77, Secretary bookcase by Anthony Quervelle (1789–1856), courtesy of Winterthur Museum and Country Estate courtesy of the Philadelphia Museum of Art, gift of Edward C. Page in memory of Robert E. Griffith, F o r u m S c h e d u l e Sa t u r d a y , Au g u s t 9 1960-159-1; photo by Graydon Wood The Historic New Orleans Collection Never Out of Fashion: The Prestige of French Textiles and Th u r sd a y , Au g u s t 7 New Orleans played a significant role in the dis- Wallpapers in America from the Colonial Period Forward Presents semination of 18th- and 19th-century decorative-arts Richard Slavin, Former Archivist Early registration traditions throughout the southern region. Imports F. Schumacher & Company, Salem, New Jersey The First Annual arriving from Europe, the eastern seaboard, and the Bus tour to area plantations additional fee Heading South: The Early 19th-Century Export Trade from Caribbean influenced not only the customs of the New Philadelphia to New Orleans Orleans region but the tastes and trends of the entire Alexandra Kirtley, Assistant Curator of American Art Fr i d a y , Au g u s t 8 New Orleans South. With such a history, it is fitting for the city to Philadelphia Museum of Art be home to a forum dedicated to the decorative arts. Registration As part of its mission to preserve the history and cul- A Yankee Decorator in the American South Thomas Jayne Antiques Forum ture of the region, The Historic New Orleans Collec- Opening Remarks Priscilla Lawrence, Executive Director Thomas Jayne Studio, New York tion is pleased to inaugurate the New Orleans Antiques Burl Salmon, Director of Development and External Affairs Forum. Lunch (on your own) The three-day forum will be held from Friday, Southern Decorative Arts: Past, Present, and Future The Uniqueness of New Orleans Architecture August 8, through Sunday, August 10, in the Boyd J. Thomas Savage, Director of Museum Affairs Winterthur Museum and Country Estate, Winterthur, Delaware John Magill, Curator/Historian Cruise Room of the Williams Research Center, 410 The Historic New Orleans Collection Chartres Street. An additional preconference day A Century of Work: Southern Gardens on Thursday, August 7, offers a bus trip to regional Suzanne Turner, FASLA French Quarter Open House Tour plantations, some of which are not usually open to the Suzanne Turner Associates, Baton Rouge public. Featuring speakers from around the country, Su n d a y , Au g u s t 10 the conference will cover a variety of topics—from Lunch (on your own) French émigré miniatures and 19th-century porcelain New Orleans and the Early Industrial Era Les Miserables: French Émigré Miniaturists in America, to historic imported textiles and southern landscape Cybèle Gontar, Doctoral Candidate 1788–1830 designs. Thomas Savage, director of museum affairs for Graduate Center, The City University of New York Elle Shushan Winterthur Museum and Country Estate in Winterthur, Fine Portrait Miniatures, Philadelphia Paris Porcelain, 1775–1870: A Southern Tradition Delaware, will moderate the event. John Keefe, Curator of Decorative Arts “What Exactly Was Made South of Baltimore?”: The Museum Registration for the full conference is $150. New Orleans Museum of Art of Early Southern Decorative Arts’ 40-Year Quest for the Participants may register for Friday only for $75 or for Discovery of Southern Decorative Arts Saturday and Sunday together for $100. Visit www. Evening Reception and French Quarter Stroll Robert Leath, Vice President of Collections and Research, The Historic New Orleans Collection, 533 Royal Street hnoc.org or call (504) 523-4662 to register. Chief Curator, The Museum of Early Southern Decorative Arts, Interior of 836 St. Peter Street, New Orleans, residence of Thomas Jayne —Burl Salmon Winston-Salem

10 Volume XXV, Number 2 — Spring 2008 The Historic New Orleans Collection Quarterly 11 10 Volume XXV, Number 2 — Spring 2008 The Historic New Orleans Collection Quarterly 11 Ke mp e r a n d Le i l a Wi l l i a ms Pr i z e Aw a r d e d t o Dr. Em i l y Cl a r k he Historic New Orleans nuns. She served as guest curator for The Collection and the Louisiana Historic New Orleans Collection’s 2002 T Historical Association awarded exhibition The Ursulines: New Perspectives the 2007 Williams Prize in Louisiana on 275 Years in New Orleans and edited History to Dr. Emily Clark for her Voices from an Early American Convent: work Masterless Mistresses: The New Marie Madeleine Hachard and the New Orleans Ursulines and the Development Orleans Ursulines, 1727–1760 (Louisiana of a New World Society, 1727–1834, State University Press, 2007). published for the Omohundro Institute In Masterless Mistresses, Professor of Early American History and Culture Clark incorporates the story of the Ursu- Masterless Mistresses was selected from by the University of North Carolina line nuns into early American history, 17 entries published in 2007. A panel of Press. The prize, which includes a cash and, by doing so, makes an important historians evaluated the entries for Loui- award and a plaque, was announced at contribution to the historiography of siana content, scholarly merit, and overall the LHA’s annual meeting in Lafayette, Louisiana. According to Professor Susan historical significance. Louisiana, on Friday, March 14, 2008. Juster of the University of Michigan, A list of past Williams Prize recipi- The Williams Prize, offered annually “Clark’s bold and original study of the ents and application information for next since 1974, recognizes excellence in Ursuline community in New Orleans is year’s prize are available at www.hnoc. research and writing on Louisiana his- deeply attuned to the rhythms and poli- org. Works published in the 2008 calen- tory. tics of religious life in the Old as well as dar year exploring any aspect of Louisiana Dr. Clark is assistant professor of the New World and to the changing racial history and culture, or placing Louisiana history at Tulane University, where she and gendered dynamics of colonial Loui- subjects in a regional, national, or inter- received her doctorate in 1998. She spe- siana under three empires. The intricate national context, are eligible. The dead- cializes in early American history and meshing of local and transatlantic history line for 2008 Williams Prize submissions has focused her research on the Ursuline is truly stunning.” is January 15, 2009.

The Dianne Woest Fellowship in the Arts and Humanities

he Historic New Orleans Fellows will be expected to: To Apply: All applicants are encour- Collection is now accepting • offer a public presentation during aged to familiarize themselves with T applications for the 2009 Woest their term of residence The Collection’s resources by visiting Fellowship. The annual fellowship sup- • acknowledge The Collection in any www.hnoc.org. Fellowship applications ports scholarly research on the history published work drawing on fellow- may be downloaded from the website. and culture of Louisiana and the Gulf ship research For more information, call Dr. Alfred South. Since the fellowship’s inception Lemmon, director of the Williams Stipend: The fellowship carries a sti- in 2006, eight fellows have conducted Research Center, at 504-598-7124, or pend of $4,000/month, to be disbursed research at the Williams Research Center. Dr. Jessica Dorman, director of publica- on a monthly basis for a minimum of While THNOC resources should play tions and marketing, at 504-598-7174. one and a maximum of three months. a central role in the proposed research Fellows may select their period(s) of resi- agenda, fellows are also encouraged to The Historic New Orleans Collection grate- dence, but all research must commence explore other research facilities in the fully acknowledges the generosity of Dianne and conclude during the specified calen- Greater New Orleans area. Audrey Woest (1935–2003), a graduate of dar year. The Woest Fellowship is open Southeastern Louisiana University, former to doctoral candidates, academic and Deadline: Applications for the 2009 president of the New Orleans Council for museum professionals, and indepen- Woest fellowship are due August 1, 2008. International Visitors, and true friend of the dent scholars. U.S. citizenship is not Awards will be announced September arts. Through a planned giving arrange- required, but applicants should be fluent 15, 2008, with research to begin on or ment, Woest designated The Collection as a in English. after January 1, 2009. beneficiary of her estate.

12 Volume XXV, Number 2 — Spring 2008 12 Volume XXV, Number 2 — Spring 2008

r o f i l e

P The Collection

o n o r Needs You

D The Historic New Orleans Collection offers a variety of volunteer opportuni- ties. If you are interested in filling any John G. Turner and Jerry G. Fischer of the following volunteer positions at hey love the food, music, and preservationists. Both served on the board The Collection, please contact Molly history of New Orleans. Both of the Louisiana State Museum and Sue St. Paul, volunteer coordinator, at (504) T grew up west of the city—John on the board of the National Trust for 598-7139 or [email protected]. in Baton Rouge, Jerry in Iota and later Historic Preservation. They were instru- Baton Rouge—but childhood trips for mental in preserving Magnolia Mound Docent Department: Mardi Gras, college years at Tulane, early Plantation, where John now volunteers as • Weekly Volunteers: Volunteer one- careers in the hotel and law industries an open-hearth cook. As a young boy, half day a week with the docent depart- brought them to New Orleans. During Jerry took an interest in the Civil War ment. Duties include staffing the their time here, each formed an affinity and later earned an undergraduate degree Williams Gallery and giving tours of for the city’s distinctive culture. And in history before continuing on to law the Williams Residence and History now, although well established in Baton school. His interests have now turned Galleries. Morning shifts are from 9:30 Rouge, they look to New Orleans—and to genealogy, and he is looking forward a.m. to 1:30 p.m.; afternoon shifts are The Historic New Orleans Collection to utilizing the Williams Research Center from 1:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. in particular—as the beneficiary of their to research his great-grandmother, who • THNOC Emissaries: Bring infor- philanthropic support. hailed from New Orleans. mation packets and rack cards to “New Orleans has always felt like Over the past 13 years, John and Jerry hotels, restaurants, and other public home to us,” says Jerry. “And for those have completely renovated their home in places. This is a good opportunity for who appreciate history, culture, and Baton Rouge’s Garden District, adding those who cannot commit to a long- architecture, like we do, New Orleans a few New Orleans touches, including a term project or a set weekly position. certainly has a different presence than any driveway made of stones from Tchoupi- • Special Exhibition Volunteers: The other place.” John and Jerry are aware toulas Street. Jerry is retired from his Collection periodically presents large- of the important role that The Collection legal career, and John runs a travel agency. scale exhibitions requiring additional plays in preserving these aspects of New They both love to travel, which they have staffing. These volunteers commit Orleans and the Louisiana region as a done quite extensively. They ardently to a schedule for the duration of the whole. “The founders of The Collection enjoy opera and have subscribed to the exhibition. realized the significance and importance New Orleans Opera, as well as the Hous- • Special Events Volunteers: Welcome of preserving and retaining our histori- ton and Santa Fe operas, for years. They the public and staff the exhibitions cal artifacts,” says Jerry. “If they weren’t also support the Preservation Resource during evening lectures and events. fulfilling this role, what would have hap- Center and the Audubon Institute. John pened? All of the artifacts would have and Jerry were the first members of The Curatorial Department: Assist curators been scattered to the four corners of Collection’s Bienville Circle and invite and photographers with filing, sorting, the earth. Because of the foresight of you to join them as members of this spe- computer entry, inventory, and other Kemper and Leila Williams, the hold- cial group, which offers a host of benefits, needs. ings of The Collection are now of such including free admission to all lectures Education Department: Make pre- tremendous value to our state and to the and conferences; an annual gala evening; sentations in schools and assist with history of the United States.” and a private luncheon with the execu- exhibition-specific programs. The love of history was instilled tive director. They are looking forward in each of them at a young age. John’s to taking advantage of all that the institu- parents, Bert and Sue, were ardent tion has to offer for years to come. The Historic New Orleans Collection Quarterly 13 The Historic New Orleans Collection Quarterly 13

DONORS: October-December 2007 Lee R. Adler Carl A. Dengel Susan Kierr Jan L. Rector Mr. and Mrs. Richard M. Adler Marie Schroeder Des Roches Elizabeth Himel Killeen Dr. and Mrs. James Reynolds Mr. and Mrs. Warwick Aiken Jr. Melanie A. Dey Dr. Jon Kukla Mary Alma Riess Ancient Order of Hibernians, Inc. Johnny Donnels Nancy La Fonta de Saintegeme Lodonia Rivers Mr. and Mrs. Allain C. Andry III Lauri A. Dorrance Mr. and Mrs. James C. Landis Noah D. Robert Apartment Development Services, Ltd. William Lake Douglas Dr. Gilles-Antoine Langlois Mr. and Mrs. Lewis P. Rogers Pamela D. Arceneaux Carol Ann Roberts Dumond Mary Myrick Langlois Mrs. Melvin M. Rosenthal AT&T J. Peter Eaves LaPorte, Sehrt, Romig & Hand Certified Mr. and Mrs. Richard D. Roussel Dr. Jorge I. Aunon Mr. and Mrs. Robert Edwards Public Accountants Joseph Rubinfine Mr. and Mrs. Richard Autin Scott S. Ellis The Last Straws Shelby E. Russ Jr./Associated Office The Azby Fund Augusta and Robert E. Elmwood Mr. and Mrs. John Hilliard Lawrence Systems Ann H. Babington Elizabeth Elmwood Mrs. Thomas B. Layton St. Denis J. Villere & Company Mr. and Mrs. F. Macnaughton Ball Jr. Embassy of France/French Cultural Paul J. Leaman Jr. Brian Sands Otto J. Bangs Jr. Services V. Price LeBlanc Jr. Fund of the Baton Frank Saucier William F. Banta Glenn Estapa Rouge Area Foundation Stephen A. Scalia Mr. and Mrs. Beauregard Bassich Mr. and Mrs. Henry C. Eustis Laurie Ledet Judge and Mrs. Patrick M. Schott Mr. and Mrs. John D’Arcy Becker Lynda and Lionel J. Favret Jr. M. Theresa LeFevre John B. Sewell Jack A. Belsom Murray C. Fincher Dr. Alfred E. Lemmon Mr. and Mrs. R. Hugh Simmons Mr. and Mrs. Edward Benjamin Jr. Jean and Phil Fischer in memory of Justice Harry T. Lemmon and Judge Flo Mary Scheib Simonson Ginny and Ray J. Berg/American Cecilia Shepherd Cambias Mary Ann Lemmon Greta Sims Foodways Press LP LLC Mr. and Mrs. Dudley D. Flanders Vicki Gold Levi John W. Skardon Henry Bernstein and Jerry Zachary Mr. and Mrs. Richard P. Flatau Dana Little Mr. and Mrs. Fred M. Smith Mrs. William J. Berridge Fran Flurry Jacquelyn S. Lothschuetz Mr. and Mrs. Joe D. Smith Jr. Mr. and Mrs. Dixon B. Betz R. Ann Ford Louisiana Cookin’ Linda T. Smith Ruth and George L. Bilbe William H. Forman Jr. LSU Health Sciences Center, School of Louis D. Smith Dr. Guenter Bischof Richard L. Forstall Medicine, Department of Genetics Steven R. Smith Nell T. Boersma Capt. Charles W. Frank, USN (Ret.) Mr. and Mrs. Stanley D. Loula Charles A. Snyder Judith Hopkins Bonner Larry D. Franke Mrs. Jon W. Lowry Margaret B. Soniat Bruce Bordes Lorraine Friedrichs Shirley O. Ludman Mr. and Mrs. David Speights Joan Bostick Maurice L. Frisell Beverly T. Lynds Ann and Stephen Spohrer Owen R. Bourque Mr. and Mrs. Lawrence D. Garvey Morris G. and Paula L. Maher State of Louisiana, Office of the State Daniel A. Bouysou Michelle Gaynor and Edwin Foster Foundation Library of Louisiana Robert and Jan White Brantley Blair II Brigitta Malm Mr. and Mrs. Richard B. Stephens Mary Aldigé Brogden John Geiser III Mrs. E. Dameron Manard Patricia L. and Phineas Stevens Harvey R. Brooks Lorraine Gendron Phyllis J. Marquart Irma M. Stiegler Hugh C. Brown Jr. James H. Gibert Louise B. Martin Mrs. Carl F. Stockmeyer Jr. Jane U. Brown Mr. and Mrs. Robert B. Golden Charles Buck Mayer Ann D. Sturgill Polly Brown Mr. and Mrs. Hilliard J. Goldman Judy and James McAlister Steven Mark Sweet Victor Brown William Goldring Adrienne and Louis McFaul Phyllis M. Taylor/Patrick F. Taylor Ann Maylie Bruce Mr. and Mrs. John Goodwin II John Mellor Foundation Patricia W. Burke Shirley Ann Grau Mrs. Henry A. Mentz Jr. Tennessee Williams/New Orleans Dr. and Mrs. Charles W. Caillouet Jr. Leonard and Jerry Greenbaum Family Donald A. Meyer Literary Festival Mr. and Mrs. John W. Calhoun Foundation, Inc., in honor of Marilyn Milam Debra Thompson Mr. and Mrs. Carlo Capomazza di Alexandra Stafford and Raymond Pamela S. Mitchell Leah R. Todd Campolattaro Rathle Laura Simon Nelson Mrs. Thomas J. Tomeny Jr. Campus Management Mr. and Mrs. Douglas Grundmeyer Cynthia Nobles Timothy Trapolin Dr. Daniel I. Caplan Charles D. Hadley Karin W. Oakes Dr. and Mrs. Samuel A. Trufant Emelie and Brian Cheramie Jacqueline Hanks Dr. and Mrs. John Lockwood Ochsner Mr. and Mrs. John J. Uhl Dr. and Mrs. Ralph Chesson Jean Heid Dr. John T. O’Connor Mary Ann Valentino Mr. and Mrs. William K. Christovich Robert Henkel and Burl Salmon The Old State Capitol Associates Michael Valentino/Hotel Management The Honorable Ian W. Claiborne Mr. and Mrs. John F. Hills Omohundro Institute of Early American of New Orleans Loretta Clark Mr. and Mrs. Alex Himmelberg History and Culture Mr. and Mrs. Paul Veazey Dr. Carolyn M. Clawson Robert A. Holland Dr. April Gale O’Quinn J. B. Vella Mr. and Mrs. J. Kenneth Clay Susan Hoskins Rebecca Owen Merlin M. Villar Jr. ClearBridge Advisors, LLC Calvin J. Hotard Gray S. Parker Mary L. Villars Sheila and Hugh M. Collins Mr. and Mrs. Michael L. Hughes The Parlange Family Mr. and Mrs. St. Denis J. Villere Shirley Colomb Mary Lynn Hyde Robert J. Patrick/Seismic Exchange, Inc. A. Ben Wagner William C. Cook, The William C. Dr. and Mrs. J. E. Isaacson Jr. The Rev. Gregory Y. Pembo Mr. and Mrs. John E. Walker Cook Advised Fund of Reed W. Isbell-Hobbs James A. Phillips Anne Walshe The Community Foundation of Janet Izard Mr. and Mrs. R. Hunter Pierson Jr. William J. Warren Middle Tennessee Vera and Don Jacobs David D. Plater Merlyn and Daniel Weilbaecher Consular Corps of New Orleans Kay and Trent James Ormonde Plater Justice John L. Weimer Gayle M. Cosgrove Louise and James J. Jardell Mr. and Mrs. Andrew L. Plauché Jr. J. Parham Werlein Dorothy L. Counce Mr. and Mrs. R. Andrew Jardine Jessie J. Poesch, PhD Lisa and Adam Werling Crescent River Port Pilots’ Association Eric Jarvis Frank S. Pons Carroll Van West Hugh C. Curtis Mrs. Neill P. Jeffrey M. Cleland Powell III Dr. and Mrs. Mark Whitehead Jr. Wayne Curtis Barbara V. Johnsen Curt Queyrouze Mr. and Mrs. Robert J. A. Williams William Page Dame III The Erik F. Johnsen Family Foundation Jeanne P. Rabig Mr. and Mrs. John D. Wogan James R. Dartez Dr. and Mrs. Robert N. Jones Julia and Anthony Radosti Mr. and Mrs. Robert E. Young Mr. and Mrs. Mark P. Dauer Ellis Joubert Mrs. F. W. Raggio Jr. Mr. and Mrs. Victor D. Ziminsky Jr. Betty K. DeCell Lura G. Kauffman Mr. and Mrs. Joseph M. Rault Jr. Marion S. Zinser Patricia C. Denechaud Mr. and Mrs. Norman R. Kerth Mrs. Thomas A. Rayer

14 Volume XXV, Number 2 — Spring 2008 14 Volume XXV, Number 2 — Spring 2008 Ha v e Yo u Co n s i d e r e d a Pl a n n e d Gi f t ? Th e Co l l e c t i o n To better serve the community, The Historic New Orleans Collection is pleased Re c e i v e s Ar t s to offer the following planned giving materials free of charge: Co u n c i l Aw a r d • Giving Through Life Insurance • Giving Through Charitable Remainder Trusts The Historic New Orleans Collection • Giving Through Your Will is honored to be one of six recipients • Giving Securities of the 2008 Community Arts Awards, • Giving Real Estate presented by the Arts Council of New • Giving Through Retirement Plans Orleans. Bestowed at a luncheon on • Giving Through Gift Annuities Friday, May 9, the awards were granted “in celebration of the creative spirit of To receive materials or for more information about planned giving, please call New Orleans and to honor those indi- the development department, (504) 598-7109. viduals and organizations making out- All inquiries are held in the strictest confidence and without obligation. standing contributions to the arts and The Historic New Orleans Collection does not offer legal or tax advice. We culture in our community.” Offered encourage you to consult your legal and financial advisors for structuring a gift since 1977, the Community Arts Awards plan that achieves your giving intentions and meets your particular financial are given to individual artists, arts circumstances. patrons, volunteers, non-profit cultural organizations, and corporate patrons.

Be a Part of Louisiana’s Future by Helping to Preserve Its Past… Become a Member of The Historic New Orleans Collection Your generous support funds research, educational outreach, award-winning publications, and internationally renowned exhibitions.

Membership has its benefits… founder $35 laussat society $1,000 Membership—at all levels— In addition to preserving Louisiana’s Full membership privileges, Full membership privileges; carries benefits for the entire past, your membership confers valuable as outlined special gift; private, guided household: a single individual tours of The Collection; benefits, including: merieult society $100 or a couple, along with any free admission to all evening • Subscription to The Collection’s Full membership privileges; children under age 18. For lectures presented by The donor newsletter special gift more information, please visit Collection; special Laussat our website at www.hnoc.org or • 10% shop discount mahalia society $250 Society receptions and call the office of development at • Unlimited guided tours of the Full membership privileges; tours; annual gala evening (504) 598-7109. All inquiries history galleries, Williams Resi- special gift; private, guided bienville circle $5,000 are confidential and without dence, the architecture of THNOC’s tours of The Collection Full membership privileges; obligation. buildings and courtyards, and cur- jackson society $500 special gift; private, guided rent exhibitions (during regular Full membership privileges; tours of The Collection; business hours) special gift; private, guided free admission to all lectures • Admission to the Concerts in the tours of The Collection; and conferences presented Courtyard series free admission to all evening by The Collection; special • Members-only trips, events, and lectures presented by The member receptions and exhibition previews Collection tours; annual gala evening; private luncheon with the • Recognition on The Collection’s executive director donor wall

The Historic New Orleans Collection Quarterly 15 The Historic New Orleans Collection Quarterly 15 In London, he saw Queen Victoria the Jackson Hall Beer Saloon, and John acquisitions riding in Hyde Park. In Paris, he Hopkins, Printer. visited Notre Dame and the National Abraham Bishop (1763–1844), a The Historic New Assembly, attended public balls, enjoyed Connecticut politician and ardent sup- Orleans Collection the cafés, and recognized other New porter of Thomas Jefferson, published a encourages research in the Orleanians visiting the city. He describes pamphlet entitled Oration, In Honor of Williams Research Center hiring a carriage to travel on his own the Election of President Jefferson, and the at 410 Chartres Street from from Geneva, where he toured watch Peaceable Acquisition of Louisiana, Deliv- 9:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. factories, to Bern, Switzerland. He is ered at the National Festival in Hartford, th Tuesday through Saturday in Baden Baden, Germany, “the spici- On the 11 of May, 1804. As a Repub- (except holidays). Cataloged materials est gambling place in Europe,” when lican in Connecticut, a predominately available to researchers include books, the Prince of Prussia breaks the bank Federalist area, Bishop was seen as a radi- manuscripts, paintings, prints, draw- at the casino. He visits Amsterdam, cal and his outspoken views were unpop- ings, maps, photographs, and artifacts Rome, Naples, Constantinople, Athens, ular. Over protests from local merchants, about the history and culture of New Venice, Verona, Florence, Cairo, Jerusa- President Jefferson rewarded Bishop with Orleans, Louisiana, and the Gulf South. lem, and Damascus, and returns to Paris an appointment as collector for the port Each year The Collection adds thou- several times during the tour. The book of New Haven in 1803, a post he retained sands of items to its holdings. Though is a significant work of African Ameri- until removed by President Jackson in only selected gifts are mentioned here, can literature. 1829. In the pamphlet, Bishop writes of the importance of all gifts cannot be Hopkins’ New-Orleans 5 Cent Song- the Louisiana Purchase, “Possession has overstated. Prospective donors are Book is a small, illustrated booklet of been given us, government is established invited to contact the authors of the lyrics from songs popular in the city and the flag of the United States has been acquisitions columns. during the early Civil War. Wrapped displayed at New-Orleans in the midst of in dark blue paper, the issue bears no acclamations by a people, who for the first Library imprint or date. However, it is attrib- time, since the settlement of that country, uted to a local printer, John Hopkins, could be embraced as the free citizens of a For the fourth quarter of 2007 (October– whose establishment was near the cor- republic.” December), there were 35 acquisitions, ner of First and Tchoupitoulas streets —Pamela D. Arceneaux totaling 138 items. in the Fourth District. It is presumed On Sunday, June 15, 1851, David to have been published in 1861, when Manuscripts Dorr, a New Orleans-born slave about another song book with the same title 23 or 24 years old, arrived in Liverpool and a slightly different song list was also For the fourth quarter of 2007 (October– with his master, Cornelius Fellowes, published and wrapped in yellow paper. December), there were 28 acquisitions, on the first stop of a three-year tour of totaling approximately 13 linear feet. Europe and the Near East. When he The folklore surrounding the priva- later published an account of his remark- teer Jean Lafitte, frequently capitalized able travels, Dorr identified himself on on by the tourist trade, has become an the title page only as “A Quadroon.” important element of the region’s iden- He begins A Colored Man Round the tity. A recently acquired letter addresses World with a dedication “To My Slave the legend of Lafitte’s treasure. Written Mother” and a preface in which he states by Confederate general P. G. T. Beauregard that his master “treated me as his own to C. W. Derry of Leadville, Colorado, on son.” Although Fellowes promised more January 2, 1888, the letter is a response than once to free Dorr upon their return Songs in the Hopkins volume include to Derry’s earlier query about the where- to New Orleans, he ultimately refused to “The Mason’s Farewell,” “God Save the abouts of Lafitte’s treasure. Beauregard do so. Dorr eventually escaped to Cleve- South” (to the tune of “God Save the replies: “Lafitte was too shrewd a man to land where he worked as a clerk and in Queen”), “Lincoln Going to Canaan,” leave any ‘treasure’ about Barrataria Bay 1858 published this lively account of “The Merry Little Soldier,” and “Wait or Galveston. He was allowed ample his travels. Although traveling with for the Wagon.” The wrapper features time by authorities, to leave both places Fellowes, Dorr personally experienced advertisements for C. H. Miller Con- with whatever property he had. More- many of the places that they visited, fectionaries, P. W. Wood Books and Sta- over he had many influential friends in allowing for first-person descriptions. tionery, Mrs. C. Magee’s Variety Store, New Orleans who could have taken good

16 Volume XXV, Number 2 — Spring 2008 care of his ‘treasure’ if he had any. When I made the survey of Barrataria Bay and Harbor they were still there, on Grand Isle three of Lafitte’s crew, who appeared to be good, quiet people. I often saw them and conversed with them, but I never heard them say anything about concealed ‘treasure.’” The recent Sugar Bowl exhibition has elicited numerous donations. Ms. Cath- erine Weinstein donated an interesting letter dated January 7, 1934. The let- ter from Judge T. Semmes Renlett to Dockworkers by Rolland Golden, 1960 (2008.66) eventual Sugar Bowl president Joseph M. Cousins was written one year before New Orleans’s culinary history is Curatorial the first Sugar Bowl. “You have been to embodied in many different objects— California—you saw Tulane in the 1932 cookbooks, menus, tableware, and pho- Rose Bowl game—you know the remark- For the fourth quarter of 2007 (October– tographs. The blue-and-white enameled able advantages from a publicity stand- December), there were 38 acquisitions, marquee for Maylié & Esparbé Café, a point, the attraction of tourists, visitors, totaling 2,105 items. recent gift of Mrs. Robert Nolan Bruce etc., such a game is to any State, County, Illinois native Morris Henry Hobbs Jr., is another symbol of the city’s or City, but do not also overlook that the (1892–1967)—a printmaker, drafts- distinct food culture. The Poydras Street Tournament of Roses parade is in itself man, and watercolorist—made hun- establishment initially served individuals a great attraction to thousands of visitors dreds of views of New Orleans during working in the Poydras Market across in addition to the game.” Mr. Renlett the mid-20th century. In addition to the street. The restaurant soon became goes on to describe in detail a proposed the dozens of Hobbs’s etchings and an icon of New Orleans’s cuisine, famous Sugar Bowl parade. A parade did exist drawings collected by THNOC found- for a table d’hote menu of iconic Creole for a short period in the 1970s, but it ers Kemper and Leila Williams, The dishes. Maylié’s closed in 1986. The is worth noting that the idea originated Collection has tools that Hobbs used in marquee joins menus and photographs with the bowl’s conception. making his copper-etching plates. The of this New Orleans landmark in the The antebellum period in New artist produced his graphic works on holdings of The Collection. Orleans was an era of unprecedented presses of varying sizes, ranging from Sydney J. Besthoff III has donated economic growth. During this time, the one that fits in a shoebox to another that three items pertaining to Louisiana city emerged as the unchallenged mer- occupies the footprint of a compact car. attorney Judah P. Benjamin. Two por- cantile center of the South and a criti- A press of medium size that was used by traits depict Benjamin at very different cal player in the emerging global cotton the artist is the recent gift of Mrs. Reed moments in his life: an 1850s portrait economy of the 19th century. A collec- Isbell-Hobbs. engraved during Benjamin’s service as tion of letters from businessmen in New New Orleans artist Rolland Golden a United States senator from Louisi- Orleans sheds light on this dynamic is a careful observer of the world ana (1853–1861) and an 1883 portrait business climate. The letters concern around him. For several decades, he has depicting Benjamin dressed in the robes shipping, coffee, insurance, lumber, and, depicted architecture, landscapes, and and wig typical of his station as a member most prominently, cotton. Some of the the activities of people in different set- of the British legal community. After the letters are written on the reverse side of tings. A recently acquired early work end of the Civil War, Benjamin, who held printed issues of the Merchants Tran- from 1960 presents a view of dock work- cabinet posts in the Confederacy, settled script and the New Orleans Price Current. ers on the New Orleans waterfront. The in Great Britain, where he was admitted The letters are primarily addressed to gouache painting’s technique prefig- to the bar in 1866. He practiced law in locations in Maine, Massachusetts, New ures the opaque color areas of Golden’s that country until 1883, when he retired York, and New Jersey, demonstrating the mature style, while other elements in to Paris where he died the following year. close economic ties that existed between the work—modulation within the col- Accompanying the two portraits is a note New Orleans and the northeastern states ors and sinuous outlines—tie it to the signed by Benjamin referring to the pay- during the antebellum period. regionalism of John McCrady, Golden’s ment of a debt. —Mark Cave art teacher. —John H. Lawrence

The Historic New Orleans Collection Quarterly 17 Ed u c a t i o n a l Ou t r e a c h Up d a t e

Celebrating the Art of French Portraiture

n Saturday, March 8, The Joseph Vaudechamp, whose biogra- Collection participated in phy was published by The Collection O Ecole Bilingue de la in June 2007. In addition to receiv- Nouvelle-Orléans’s annual Fête ing information about the artist, Française. This year’s fête, titled Vive Les participants posed in reproductions Arts, celebrated Francophone art from of two of Vaudechamp’s portraits around the world with demonstrations, (William Charles Cole Claiborne II food, entertainment, and children’s and Madame Eugène Fortier II), drew activities. Proceeds from the fête will self-portraits on framed paper, and support the French-accredited Ecole created works with finger paints. Bilingue, a French immersion school. The education department pre- sented activities focused on the 19th-century French portraitist Jean-

Editor Mary Mees Garsaud Director of Publications Jessica Dorman Staff members Anna Hilderbrandt and Becky Smith (far left and right) assisted curator of education Photography Sue Laudeman (standing center left with board member Alexandra Stafford) with the program. Keely Merritt Head of Photography Jan White Brantley Design Theresa Norris Staff

The Historic New Orleans Collection Quarterly is In t h e Co mm u n i t y published by The Historic New Orleans Collection, which is operated by the Kemper and Leila Wil- John H. Lawrence, panelist, Tennessee Vo l u n t e e r s liams Foundation, a Louisiana nonprofit corpora- tion. Housed in a complex of historic buildings in Williams/New Orleans Literary Mary Ross Berridge, Angela Diez, the French Quarter, facilities are open to the public, Festival. Hailey Donahue, Toby Garrett, Tuesday through Saturday, from 9:30 a.m. until 4:30 p.m., and Sunday, from 10:30 a.m. until 4:30 Virginia Legaie, Robert and Tia Ch a n g e s p.m. Tours of the History Galleries, the Williams Perry, Diane Plauché, and Nancy Residence, and the architechure of the buildings and Pamela D. Arceneaux, senior courtyards are available for a nominal fee. Pomiechowski, docent department. Board of Directors librarian/rare books curator; Carol Mrs. William K. Christovich, Chairman Bartels, director of systems; Melissa Charles Snyder, President In t e r n s Carrier, assistant photographer; Anna John Kallenborn Fred M. Smith Four interns from Tulane University’s John E. Walker, Immediate Past President Hilderbrandt, assistant registrar; Drew Jardine Hunter Pierson Jr. history department are working on Alexandra Stafford Howard Margot, land records the Vieux Carré Survey digitization cataloguer; Eddy Parker, education Priscilla Lawrence, Executive Director project: Lindsey Cantwell and Kristen assistant/docent; Chuck Patch, systems The Historic New Orleans Collection Condatta from the graduate program 533 Royal Street consultant; Doug Stallmer, assistant and Daniel Ehlers and Jessica New Orleans, Louisiana 70130 registrar/preparator; Steve Sweet, (504) 523-4662 Gauthier from the undergraduate [email protected] • www.hnoc.org manager of internet and interactive ISSN 0886-2109 school. © 2008 The Historic New Orleans Collection development.

18 Volume XXV, Number 2 — Spring 2008 Surrounded by Water: THE SHOP New Orleans, the

Mississippi River, In conjunction with Surrounded by and Lake Pontchartrain Water, the Shop has produced a print of a ca. 1850 hand-colored lithograph o n Vi e w t h r o u g h featured in the exhibition. Titled The Se p t e mb e r 20 Balize Near the Passes of the Mississippi leading to New Orleans, the lithograph he city of New Orleans owes its by Edward Everard Arnold depicts existence—and its economic viabil- a variety of vessels and highlights the ity—to its location near the mouth T transition in nautical technology from of the Mississippi. Lake Pontchartrain to the sail to steam. The print sells for $30. north and the Gulf of Mexico to the south In response to popular demand, further enhance the city’s stature as a hub the Shop is now selling the 30-minute of travel, trade, and recreation. Surrounded Surrounded by Water documentary pro- by Water, currently on view in the Williams duced by Walter Williams. The DVD Gallery, offers a wide-ranging view of the sells for $10. city’s environmental history. Maps, photo- A note card and magnet featur- graphs, and memorabilia document centu- ing a recently acquired photograph of ries of dependence on, and modifications of, Tennessee Williams with his mother, our watery environs. The exhibition cel- Edwina, and sister, Rose, were pro- ebrates the human spirit—the industry and duced just in time for the 22nd annual the artistry—that allows us to be borne, and Tennessee Williams/New Orleans continually reborn, upon the water. Free and Please visit www.hnoc.org or call Literary Festival. The note card sells open to the public, Surrounded by Water is on (504) 598-7147 to order these items. for $4.90, the magnet for $5.70. view Tuesday–Saturday, 9:30 a.m.–4:30 p.m., and Sunday, 10:30 a.m.–4:30 p.m., at 533 Royal Street.

Th e 22n d An n u a l Te n n e ss e e Wi l l i a ms / Ne w Or l e a n s Li t e r a r y Fe s t i v a l

Authors, agents, editors, actors, scholars, and literature-lovers filled Lee Smith, Jason Berry, Valerie Martin, and Hal Crowther Tift Merritt the rooms and courtyards of The Historic New Orleans Collection for the 22nd annual Tennessee Williams Festival. Site of the master classes, the scholars’ conference, and the Friday evening reception, The Collection bustled with activity March 26 through March 30.

Stephanie Elizondo Griest and Michael P. Smith and Karen Snyder Rex Reed and Jackie Clarkson Al Young

The Historic New Orleans Collection Quarterly 19 At The Collection & Beyond

On February 9, seven speakers discussed the Mississippi River and its role in Bruce Raeburn, Jessica Dorman, and Craig Colten presented establishing and defining New Orleans at the 13th annual Williams Research talks in the afternoon. Center Symposium, The Mississippi River: Artery of Commerce and Culture. Jerry Enzler (far left) moderated the symposium, while Andrew Walker, Peter Kastor, and Andrew McMichael (left to right) presented talks in the morning.

On Wednesday, February 13, The Collection and the Louisiana Philharmonic Orchestra presented their second annual collaborative concert, “Music of the Mississippi,” at the St. Louis Cathedral. A Following the symposium, registrants and speakers enjoyed a two-hour cruise on record-breaking audience turned out for the musical voyage down the the Steamboat Natchez. Mississippi, featuring composers and pieces inspired by the mighty river, with Mark Twain, played by local favorite mikko, as the evening’s narrator.

Kemper and Leila Williams Foundation THE HISTORIC NEW ORLEANS COLLECTION Nonprofit Organization Museum • Research Center • Publisher 533 Royal Street • New Orleans, Louisiana 70130 (504) 523-4662 • Visit The Collection on the Internet at www.hnoc.org ADDRESS SERVICE REQUESTED

20 Volume XXV, Number 2 — Spring 2008