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Volume XXVII, Number 1 Winter 2010

The Historic Collection Quarterly 1 Letters to

etters provide us with a window into another world. They connect us with the past in a way that history books are unable, drawing us into anotherL realm and revealing the nitty-gritty aspects of life. The researcher cherishes a collection of personal letters not just for the historical facts recorded but for the private experiences uncovered. Through letters we are able to relive a moment in time. It is as if we are touching history. In June 2009 The Historic New Orleans Collection acquired a collection of 19th-century letters that shed light on the immigrant experience in New Orleans while drawing us into the lives of five siblings from Ireland. Rich in detail and emotion, the O’Regan family letters address the business prospects, educational opportunities, poverty, war, and illnesses that immigrants to the city encountered in the mid-19th century. More specifically, the letters tell us about the experiences of the Irish in New Orleans, an underrepresented topic in The Collection’s holdings. When Michael O’Regan, a physician, left Ireland in June of 1842 to seek a better future in New Orleans, his family was in dire financial straits as a result of his father’s misdeeds. Despite optimistic assurances to his mother that “we will see brighter days yet,” Michael faced seemingly insurmountable barriers in New Orleans. He suffered from a series of financial setbacks and a devastating bout with yellow fever. He wrote of his disillusionment with American medical practitioners who were too motivated by “the almighty dollar.” Despite the hardships that their brother endured, five of Michael’s thirteen siblings had followed him to New Orleans by the early 1850s—Terence, Charles, William, James, and Alice. In a series of letters between the New Orleans O’Regans and their family members in Ireland, particularly siblings John and Ellen, the family’s story unfolds. John, who served as the archdeacon of Kildare from 1862 to 1879, often provided financial support to the family. The O’Regans were part of an influx of Irish immigrants to New Orleans. Between 1842 and 1864, 110,000 Irish entered the port, making it the second largest Irish immigration site in the , second only to New York. The majority of these immigrants left New Orleans for the Midwest. Because most Irish immigrants were not Above: James O’Regan (folder 10) farmers, they were not attracted to rural areas. Instead, they Background (here and page 3): Letter fromTerence O'Regan to congregated in cities and towns, moving constantly in search his sister Ellen, March 8, 1853 (folder 25). All items from the O’Regan Family of better jobs. Papers bear the accession number 2009.0159, MSS 590. Cover:Terence O’Regan’s wife, pictured left, with an unknown woman Charles O’Regan was the first of the O’Regan clan to leave (folder 9) New Orleans. In a letter to Ellen in February 1853, he wrote, “When you next hear from me you and all will have cause to

2 Volume XXVII, Number 1 — Winter 2010 Letters to Ireland

be proud of me—until then I only ask your prayers and the charity of silence.” His fate is unknown, and it appears that the family never heard from him again. “No trace or tidings of him ever reached here since his departure,” observed Terence in an 1887 letter to John. According to the 1850 census, the first to note nativity, there were between 20,000 and 22,000 Irish living in New Orleans. They settled in neighborhoods across the city, where they built Catholic churches and established benevolent societies. Contrary to what some historians have written, the Irish who arrived in the wake of the Great Famine were not paupers. The 1850 and 1860 censuses reveal that while most labored in occupations requiring little skill, many earned livings as clerks, cotton samplers, grocers, bakers, masons, and contractors. The O’Regans were members of this educated class, but faced discrimination against the Irish all the same. In June 1853, Alice O’Regan, who attended Madame Deron’s exclusive St. Louis academy, wrote, “It would never do in a Creole school to say you were Irish, there is something in the very sound of the word connected in their ideas with vulgarity, it often amuses me to hear the way they speak about my country people, little they know how near they have one of the despised race.” The prejudice that she experienced at Madame Deron’s academy was the least of Alice’s woes. Her letters relate her struggles with adapting to a new climate and the high cost of living. She was also in a state of poor health, having “lost all the front teeth in her upper jaw” by 1853. In October 1854, Alice O’Regan, just 23 years old, lost her life to yellow fever. Although his letters home were teeming with optimism, Michael O’Regan eventually gave up on New Orleans and returned to Ireland in 1855, less than a year after his sister’s death. He died there shortly before Christmas in 1859. James O’Regan, deaf and mute, initially fared better than Michael and Alice. He worked as an engraver in New Orleans, Atlanta, and . But his success was not necessarily a cause for family celebration. In Terence’s words, James lived “by himself & in himself, & for himself”—an assessment possibly colored by a recent family dispute over the cost of Alice’s education. Family letters place James in New York with a wife and child in 1859, but by the time he died, in 1884, James had returned to New Orleans. In an 1887 letter to John explaining the whereabouts of the broth- ers remaining in the States, Terence wrote, “James & Self were, for nearly 6 weeks, patients in the Charity-Hospital.— stricken down by Typhoid fever—(caused by exposure & William O’Regan (folder 12) The Historic New Orleans Collection Quarterly 3 want of food,) both of us were brought to enter New Orleans, then under letter stating that “the last heard from very low…but James never rallied from Federal control, but was captured and him,—he was in New Mexico, how the effect of this attack,—his reason was imprisoned at the blockaded port. The engaged, or in what part of that country shattered,—he passed away.” family’s concern for Willie is apparent in he was, I could never learn.” William “Willie” O’Regan, an opti- the flurry of letters Terence, John, and Terence O’Regan, who had worked mist like his brother Michael, plotted Ellen exchanged with Federal authorities for a merchant and for a time as a clerk, one scheme after another in hopes of and the British consulate. Their efforts was financially devastated by the Civil forging a better life. He found himself successfully secured Willie’s release in War. He wrote in its aftermath that he swept up in the tide of war, and in June March 1865. “found it hard to even get food for his of 1861 he related his reasons for taking Despite his wartime experiences family.” His failing health and eyesight up arms for the Confederacy to his sister and his subsequent imprisonment, did not help matters. By 1887 he was Ellen: “ called on her sons for Willie remained determined to succeed forced to seek financial assistance from aid. I know my duty and giving up every- in New Orleans. In November 1865 his brother John. thing that was dear to me, I answered he wrote to John that he “returned to Poverty, pride, disease, and death her call & became a soldier…. I am not New Orleans broken in all but spirit.” left the O’Regan family scattered across going to throw my life away recklessly Regrettably, Willie staked his hopes two continents, but as the letters they but I am going to do my duty.” Accord- on a failed cotton venture. Faced with left behind reflect, their devotion to one ing to his service record, Willie was dis- a mountain of debt, he wrote to Ellen another remained intact. charged on April 15, 1862 (no reason in June of 1866, “This is the ending of —Aimee Everett is given), at which point he headed to all my hopes.” It remains unknown if with information on the Irish in Liverpool. In 1864 he was granted per- Willie was able to recover from the New Orleans provided by Terrence mission to return to the Confederacy via devastating financial blow. He is not Fitzmorris, adjunct instructor, history Baton Rouge. From there he attempted mentioned again until Terence’s 1887 department,

Letter from Terence O’Regan to his brother John, November 24, 1887 (folder 58) 4 Volume XXVII, Number 1 — Winter 2010 J. Hanno Deiler’s German New Orleans Exhibition hhh n Christmas Day 1919, less than two months after the armistice, 21-year-old Johann J. Hanno Deiler’s OSchmidt of Nuremberg, Germany, wrote a let- German New Orleans ter to his uncle, H. G. Schmidt, and addressed it “Car[e] of German Society, New Orleans, On view in the Reading Room La.” He describes the plight of his Williams Research Center family—the suicide of his father in 410 Chartres Street 1911, the loss of his mother to can- cer in 1913, and, finally, the death of Through April 1, 2010 his two brothers at the front in 1917. As the lone surviving family mem- Tuesday–Saturday ber, the recent high-school graduate 9:30 a.m.–4:30 p.m. writes that he is not certain what he Free and open to the public will do in regards to a career, that it is “no simple matter,” and that “admittedly, nothing will come of college” for him. “Surely, I may be permitted to assume,” Johann writes his uncle, “that the conflict that arose between the country in which you now live now showing and the country where your family finds itself does not carry over to familial relationships.” The tragic nature of this letter—which is part The hiSTOriC of the Dr. Karl J. R. Arndt Collection of J. Hanno Deiler Papers and Deutsche Gesellschaft Records at New OrLeaNS THNOC—is compounded by the fact that it is among the records of the German Society of New Orleans. COLLeCTiON Its presence there suggests that the letter most likely never reached the intended recipient. A key function of PreSeNTS German societies across the United States, including New Orleans, was to handle correspondence from Vieux CArré Germans to loved ones whose exact locations were unknown. Unfortunately, the societies were not always able to make the connection. In the early 20th century, the German Society of mAtinées New Orleans was strongly influenced by the leader- ShorT FiLmS on LouiSiana’S rich hiSTory and cuLTure ship of J. Hanno Deiler, who served as president from 1895 until his death in 1909. The Schmidt letter is among an array of documents now on display in the Tuesdays–Saturdays Williams Research Center’s Reading Room as part of the 11:30 a.m.–1:30 p.m. exhibition J. Hanno Deiler’s German New Orleans. In Le Petit Théâtre du Vieux Carré addition to exploring the functions of the German 616 St. Peter Street Society, the exhibition traces Deiler’s contributions The Historic New Orleans Collection to the German music community and his role as a Off Jackson Square M useu M R e se a Rch ce n t e R historian of the Germans in Louisiana. In that capac- Free Admission pu bl ish eR ity, Deiler conducted research and wrote about the 18th-century settlers of the German Coast and the www.hnoc.org or (504) 523-4662 for information massive German immigration to the United States For a schedule of films, call Le Petit Théâtre’s box office at (504) 522-2081. during his lifetime. —Daniel Hammer

The Historic New Orleans Collection Quarterly 5 Mark Your The Collection Is Named Calendar “Best Place to Learn Something New” hhh by Encore Louisiana

Third Annual n December The Historic New Orleans Collection was recognized by Encore New Orleans Louisiana as one of the five “Best Places to Learn Something New” in the “Top Antiques Forum I50 for 50+.” Encore Louisiana, an initiative of the Office of the Lieutenant Governor, promotes the state as a residential destination for persons 50 and above. Furnishing Louisiana: The Top 50 for 50+ highlights the places and programs that make life in Louisiana Early Creole and Acadian Style fulfilling for those in that age range. Visit www.encorelouisiana.com to learn about the other highlighted sites. Thursday–Sunday August 5–8, 2010 Williams Research Center 410 Chartres Street

Eleventh Annual Bill Russell Lecture

The Musical Legacy of George Lewis

Bruce Raeburn, director of the Hogan Jazz Archive at Tulane Concerts in the Courtyard University, will moderate an evening program examining the Once again the Royal Street courtyard echoed with music and the voices and laughter of a festive life and work of jazz clarinetist crowd at The Collection’s fall concert series, which showcased Rebirth Brass Band (September 18), Thais Clark (October 16), and Gal Holiday and the Honky Tonk Revue (November 20). The George Lewis (1900–1968), with spring series kicks off on March 19 with the Panorama Jazz Band. Visit www.hnoc.org for the full Barry Martyn (drummer, author), schedule. Nick Gagliano (Lewis’s former manager), and Tom Sancton (clarinetist).

Friday, April 9, 2010 6:30 p.m. Williams Research Center 410 Chartres Street

Free and open to the public Seating is limited. Call (504) 523-4662 for reservations.

Presented in conjunction with the Festival

6 Volume XXVII, Number 1 — Winter 2010 F ro m t h e D i r ecto r very kind friend recently sent an e-mail to A me to point out that, although “everything The Historic New Orleans Collection does is flaw- less,” we had mislabeled a painting of a plantation in the current exhibition, Between Colony and State. The Collection Contributes to New While I was pleased to hear that the friend con- sidered our work to be flawless, I was distressed to Visitor Center at Chalmette Battlefield learn that we had made the mistake. It turned out n November officials from National Historical Park and that actually the artist had incorrectly identified the IPreserve broke ground for a new visitor center at Chalmette Battlefield, plantation depicted in the work. But the situation an endeavor in which The Historic New Orleans Collection has been led me to ponder The Collection’s role as a bearer of very much involved. destroyed the battlefield’s visitor history. Though we try hard to eliminate errors, we center, and a temporary site has been in place since 2006. The new neither purport nor expect to be flawless. Our role center, which will be twice as large as the previous structure, will showcase is to stimulate interest in our shared history, with state-of-the-art, interactive exhibitions designed by the prominent firm the materials in our own collections serving as the Gallagher & Associates, which is responsible for interpretive sites such foundation for continued study. We enjoy asking as Gettysburg National Military Park and Jamestown Settlement. Jason the questions and hope that you, our public and our Wiese, assistant director of the Williams Research Center, is serving as peers, will become interested enough in some aspect a historical consultant for the project, reviewing text panels, narratives, of a subject to explore it further. and film scripts. The Collection is also contributing 80 percent of One of the ways we inspire research is through the images that will be featured in the installation. Slated to open in our annual Dianne Woest Fellowship in the Arts September 2010, the new visitor center promises to immerse park and Humanities. Thanks to the generous bequest visitors in the history surrounding the and bring of Dianne Audrey Woest (1935–2003), 15 fellows this momentous event to life. have been awarded stipends to conduct research at the Williams Research Center since the program’s inception in 2006. While The Collection’s resources play a central role in the proposed research, fellows are also encouraged to explore other repositories in the Greater New Orleans area. Scholars have studied a variety of topics, including the 1837 panic, the New Orleans flood of 1849, plantation women and the urban South, Sephardic Jews in early Louisiana, the Battle of New Orleans, theater in New Orleans between 1840 and 1860, and New Orleans culture in the 1960s. At another level, our educational outreach pro- gram encourages the development of young scholars. As you will find on page 9, the program is currently Pictured at the Chalmette Battlefield visitor center groundbreaking on November 13 are, challenging students to ask hard questions about the left to right, Jason Wiese, The Historic New Orleans Collection; Amanda Beheyt, U.S. Representative Charlie Melancon’s office; Patricia Gallagher, president, Chalmette chapter, preservation of Louisiana’s wetlands. United States Daughters of 1812; Craig Taffaro, St. Bernard Parish president; Carol A. We welcome your interest, your feedback, and Clark, park superintendent, Jean Lafitte National Historical Park and Preserve; A.G. your criticism. Most of all we appreciate your active Crowe, state senator; James J. Coleman Jr., honorary consul, Great Britain; Tim Strain, assistance in exploring Louisiana’s history! living history character, Major Jean-Baptiste Plauché’s Uniformed Battalion of Orleans —Priscilla Lawrence Volunteers (a volunteer militia that fought at the Battle of New Orleans).

The Historic New Orleans Collection Quarterly 7 Dianne Woest Fellowship in the Arts and Humanities The Historic New Orleans Collection is proud to announce the recipients of the 2010–11 Dianne Woest Fellowship in the Arts and Humanities:

Emily Clark Associate Professor, History, Tulane University “The Strange History of the American Quadroon”

John M. Huffman Dancing to Septete Nacional, Havana, Cuba, PhD candidate, History, by Michael P. Smith, 1984 (2007.103.4.743) “Americans on Paper: Documents and Identity in the Early United States”

Louisiana and Cuba: Suzanne Rivecca Fiction writer, San Francisco Multiple Perspectives “The Habitants: A Novel of Walt Whitman in New Orleans” In conjunction with ¡Sí Cuba!—a citywide celebration of Cuban art and The annual fellowship supports scholarly research on the history and culture of culture—The Collection presents Loui- Louisiana and the Gulf South. Applications for the 2011–12 Woest Fellowship, due siana and Cuba: Multiple Perspectives, November 1, 2010, may be downloaded at www. hnoc.org. an exhibition on view at the Williams Research Center. Featuring documen- The Historic New Orleans Collection gratefully acknowledges the generosity of Dianne tary photographs of Cuba in the 1980s Audrey Woest (1935–2003), a graduate of Southeastern Louisiana State University, by New Orleanian Michael P. Smith former president of the New Orleans Council for International Visitors, and true friend of mounted alongside 18th- and 19th- the arts. Through a planned giving arrangement, Woest designated The Collection as the century cultural and political artifacts, beneficiary of her estate. the exhibition illustrates the many his- torical connections between Cuba and Louisiana. A New Review In March The Historic New Orleans Collection will release the 11th issue of the Annual Review. With theater and book reviews, an assessment of the playwright’s reputation in Sweden, and scholarly essays on two late plays—Kirche, Kutchen, und Kinder and The Gnädiges The Tennessee Williams Annual Review Annual Williams Tennessee The Exhibition The Fräulein—the 2010 issue of the Review makes an important hhh addition to Williams scholarship. Also included is a never- before-published one-act version of Vieux Carré, an autobio- graphical work recalling Williams’s early days in New Orleans. Louisiana and Cuba:

Multiple Perspectives Tennessee Williams Annual Review, No. 11—2010 Individual subscriptions: $15.00 Presented in conjunction Library/Institution subscriptions: $30.00 © C. R. Harris. All rights reserved.

with ¡Sí Cuba! 2010 AnnuAl RevieW Number 11 – 2010 Order from The Shop at The Collection, (504) 598-7147 www.hnoc.org On view in the gallery outside the Reading Room Williams Research Center 410 Chartres Street Outstanding Publications Two of The Collection’s 2009 books—A Closer Look: The Antebellum Photographs of Jay Dearborn Edwards, 1858–1861 and Through April 17, 2010 Josephine Crawford: An Artist’s Vision—received awards in the Southeastern Museums Conference’s Publication Design Competition. A Closer Look, designed by Alison Tuesday–Saturday Cody, was honored with the gold award in the “corporate design, large budget, 9:30 a.m.– 4:30 p.m. books and catalogues” category, while Josephine Crawford, designed by Michael Free and open to the public Ledet, received an honorable mention in the same category. SEMC, an association of regional museums, established the Publication Design Competition in 1988 to recognize and reward excellence in graphic design in museum publications.

8 Volume XXVII, Number 1 — Winter 2010 Photograph by Dustin Booksh Dustin by Photograph

Educational Outreach Update In the Slow Blink of an Alligator’s Eye: Wetlands Vanish

here is nothing more threatening to the future of documenting the culture of the people living in or near Louisi- children in coastal Louisiana than the disappearance ana’s wetlands. Transcripts of the oral history interviews will be Tof the wetlands. According to U.S. Census estimates preserved at the Williams Research Center. The project is for 2006, nearly 50 percent of the state’s population lived in funded by The Collection with support from British Petro- coastal parishes. The wetlands define life in Louisiana. Restor- leum (BP) through the Barataria-Terrebonne Estuary Founda- ing healthy wetlands is not only important to preserving the tion (BTEF). Susan Bergeron, an educational specialist with economy for the state but is also vital to national industries, the U.S. Geological Survey National Wetlands Research Center, such as fishing, navigation, oil, and gas. Hope for coastal res- is codirecting the project with The Collection’s education toration hinges on awareness, educated decisions, and actions. department. The education department at The Collection is launching —Sue Laudeman an innovative oral-history and wetlands-awareness project in five schools in Lafourche and Terrebonne parishes, communities whose livelihoods depend upon the survival of Louisiana’s coastal The Collection Salutes the wetlands. The participating middle schools—Lacache, Grand “Slow Blink” Community Partners Caillou, Montegut, Larose–Cut Off, and Golden Meadow—are These partners are providing educational materials, lesson all located within 30 miles of the open waters of the Gulf of plans, and support for the project. Mexico. The “Slow Blink” project will preserve and document the 20th- and 21st-century history and culture of these wetland communities. Barataria-Terrebonne National Estuary Program The project, which began in January 2010, comprises a Louisiana Department of Education series of teacher-training workshops for the social studies and Louisiana Department of Natural Resources science teachers from each school. Panels of leading educators Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries in related fields will train teachers in the gathering and process- Louisiana State University ing of oral histories, provide an overview of the causes of and proposed solutions for wetlands loss, and offer extensive field Louisiana Sea Grant Program options for experiential learning in the wetlands. The teachers Louisiana Coastal Roots Program will come away with recording equipment, bundles of educa- T. Harry Williams Center for Oral History tional materials supplementing their training, and a curricu- Louisiana Universities Marine Consortium (LUMCON) lum guide for a six-week intensive teaching unit. Jean Lafitte National Historical Park and Preserve Fifty students from each school will participate in the proj- Barataria Preserve ect. They will learn about the history of the wetlands and the French Quarter Visitor Center importance of preserving them for present and future genera- Nicholls State University tions. And they will conduct intergenerational interviews with University of New Orleans family members and community elders in order to learn about Pontchartrain Institute of Environmental the role of the wetlands in their own lives. Services (PIES) Through the “Slow Blink” project, The Historic New Orleans Collection’s education department hopes to build U.S. Geological Survey National Wetlands Research Center an informed corps of young environmental stewards, while The HistoricThe Historic New OrleansNew Orleans Collection Collection Quarterly Quarterly 9 9 The Perrilliat House, between 1910 and 1914, by Richard Koch (Vieux Carré Survey, Square 28) ONE DOWN, ONE TO GO

ne facet of The Historic structure, erected in the mid-1820s established by the late Richard Koch New Orleans Collection’s by dry goods and clothing merchant and Samuel Wilson, to conduct a his- mission is to preserve and François Marie Perrilliat, replaced two toric restoration of the Perrilliat House. O enhance the historic French Creole cottages owned by the prominent The term “renovation” generally denotes Quarter. The institution’s ever expand- Destrehan family. The initials of repairs, modernization, and updating. ing collections and museum program- Perrilliat, for whom the building is “Historic restoration” signifies returning ming have necessitated the acquisition named, appear on the grillwork at the the property, as much as possible, to its of additional properties. The board of building’s corner. The ideal location original architectural form, particularly the Kemper and Leila Williams Foun- and historical significance coupled with the exterior. Extensive architectural and dation, which operates The Collection, the structure’s handsome design and archaeological studies accompany every oversees these acquisitions and, in accor- its designation as a blue-rated building decision of a restoration. But as with dance with the mission to preserve and by the Vieux Carré Commission—the renovations, a restoration must include enhance, takes great care in choosing second highest rating of the commis- the necessary modernizations to make a and restoring the historic properties that sion—made the acquisition compelling. building workable and code consistent make up the French Quarter complex. While plans for the future of 400 with 21st-century standards. We purchased the building at the Chartres Street were readied, we main- Prior to the commencement of the corner of Chartres and Conti tained the traditional uses of the building— restoration in the spring of 2008, we (400 Chartres Street) in the summer of commercial space on the lower level commissioned the Greater New Orleans 1999 from the heirs of Abe Manheim. and residential units on the upper two Archaeology Program to oversee an At that time there were no immediate floors. Once the Williams Research excavation of the property (discussed in plans for the property, but its location Center addition was completed in the the winter 2009 Quarterly), and Robert between the Williams Research Center spring of 2007, we were ready to convert Cangelosi conducted a painstaking study (410 Chartres Street) and the future addi- the Perrilliat House for use in further- of the building and the files from Koch’s tion to the research center (535–37 Conti ance of the institution’s mission. When 1938–39 renovation. Bywater Wood- Street) protected these structures and held Abe Manheim acquired the building works was chosen to be the prime con- promise for their consolidation. in 1938, he engaged architect Richard tractor for the work. An in-depth search through the Koch to complete a renovation of the The historic restoration of the Vieux Carré Survey revealed the rich property. We chose Robert Cangelosi of Perrilliat House includes the redefini- Louisiana governor John M. Parker making a campaign speech at Jefferson Race Trackhistory in 1916 of theor 1920 property. (2003.0182.405) The current Koch and Wilson, the architectural firm tion of a rare entresol floor, for which

10 Volume XXVII, Number 1 — Winter 2010 The Perrilliat House in 2001, shortly after A recent view of the building under construction, December 16, 2009 The Collection acquired the building

there was ample structural evidence, and French-door arches; reconstructing the surface so as not to require coating. the replacement of lost exterior features. building’s original corner; and restor- Time has diminished the hard surface The interior configuration of the first ing and replacing (to the same historic and structural issues have necessitated level will reflect the original shop spaces specifications) millwork and masonry that the exterior brickwork undergo and will provide museum exhibition mortar. This first phase also included the repointing and replacements, reducing areas. The upper floors will be offices drilling of wells needed to support the its original uniformity. Thus we have and meeting rooms. Both floors will geothermal heating and cooling system decided to paint the building a shade yield more efficient operations for the planned for the building. Geothermal is that is close to the original brick color. registration and photography depart- not only the preferred “green” manner The choice will restore the appearance ments. The public rooms will have an of heating and cooling but also does not while providing the needed waterproof appearance consistent with the era of the require a cooling tower on the roof, an protection to porous brick sections. original construction (beaded beams, unfortunate adjunct to the modern age. The number of trades involved in plaster walls, and wooden floors). In rec- These twin benefits were the justification the work and the need to spread the ognition of the Destrehan family’s long for using this initially more expensive cost over three fiscal years has led to association with this property in particu- method. The initial phase will hopefully the restoration’s length. We believe that lar and this vicinity of the French Quar- be completed by the time this Quarterly the end result will be well worth the ter in general, we are pleased to name reaches readers. ONE DOWN! time and expense. We are excited to be the large meeting room on the corner of As I write this article, the board is returning this French Quarter grande the second floor the Destrehan Gallery. closing in on signing a second contract dame to her architectural splendor and We have received generous support from to complete the second phase of the reclaiming her rightful place among the Azby Fund, which was founded by a restoration. This phase should begin in French Quarter historical and architec- member of the Destrehan family, for the January 2010 and be completed in 18 tural landmarks. Join us in the watch for gallery’s finishing and furnishing. months. One noticeable change that the completion of the Perrilliat House The project has been broken into will occur during this phase is removal of in late spring or summer of 2011. two phases. The first phase was devoted the pink color of the building’s exterior. ONE TO GO! primarily to removing nonhistoric addi- All investigative evidence indicates that —Charles A. Snyder tions to the interior; repairing all floors, the building was not originally painted. President, Kemper and courtyard paving, and 19th-century It was constructed with imported red Leila Williams Foundation partition walls; restoring the exterior brick, which has a consistent hard

The Historic New Orleans Collection Quarterly 11

Donors: July–September 2009 Judy Ahrens Isabelle Dissard-Cooper Dr. Susan E. Kelso Carl B. Ricketts Dennis L. Alonzo David F. Dixon Louise T. Kepper Carol Riddle Gloria Garic Anderson LeNai Lola Dohr Gary Keyes Mr. and Mrs. Charles R. Riemer Dr. Mary Lou Applewhite and Dr. and Mrs. Michael P. Dolan Mr. and Mrs. R. Richardson King Allan Ronquillo Bob Bozeman Dr. Patricia Dorn Marilyn and Jim Kitto Jamie M. Roques Arts Council Mrs. Carl S. Downing Dr. Philip C. Kolin Mr. and Mrs. James Ryan III Mrs. Beauregard Avegno Dr. Ralph Draughon Dr. and Mrs. Melvyn F. Kossover Courtney Anne Sarpy Julie Azzaro Brandt J. Dufrene K-Paul’s Louisiana Kitchen Mrs. Joseph E. Schenthal Karen and Scot Babbitt James Dunne Patricia and David Krebs Bunny Scherzer Suzanne M. Bagwill Bernard E. Eble Jr. Janet Blaize Kyle Mr. and Mrs. Milton G. Scheuermann Jr. Burt L. Barbre Dr. Jay D. Edwards Alden J. Laborde Dr. John Schnelle Dianne and Steve Bellas Kurt D. Engelhardt Pam Laborde Patricia Schreiber Michelle Benoit and Glen Pitre Dr. Ina J. Fandrich LaPorte, Sehrt, Romig & Hand Jon P. Seely Cheryl and Dixon Betz Terry Fedoroff W. Elliott Laudeman III Serendipity Film Board of Directors of the Bywater Charles A. Ferguson Priscilla and John Lawrence Margaret Minor Shaffer and Neighborhood Association in Rein T. Fertel Le Petit Players Milhado Lee Shaffer Jr. memory of Marc Joseph Cooper James E. Fitzmorris Jr. Mr. and Mrs. Clay C. LeGrande Jr. Cary A. Shillcutt Dr. Elizabeth M. Boggess Mary and Vaughan Fitzpatrick Dr. and Mrs. Alan T. Leonhard The Shop at The Collection Mary E. Bolton Grace M. Flanagan Saundra K. Levy Dr. and Mrs. David Earl Simmons Joan Bostick Charlotte Fontenot/Art, Antiques & David Lipin Anna-Rose Smedberg Laura Bowie Stuff Gallery Mr. and Mrs. Juan J. Lizárraga Bruce A. Smith Dr. and Mrs. Donald Bradburn Betty Ann Fox George Long Judith M. Smith Esther Brewer Brandon Frank Ron Lopez Dr. Joseph A. Smith in memory of Doretta Briede Allison and George Freeman Sheila MacWilliams Dr. Darrlyn A. Smith Frances and John Bruton Mr. and Mrs. Nicholas J. Gagliano Mr. and Mrs. Alan E. Malone Kay Smith Jennie and Jim Bryant Jacqueline F. Gamble Will G. Mangham Karen Snyder Beverly C. Buisson Sidney F. Garaudy Jr. Sue Switzer Mann Charla L. Spalluto Mr. and Mrs. Mac G. Bulloch Jr. Steven Gardiner The Honorable Gary J. Mannina in Betty Traber Spurlock Myra M. Butz Anne Garrett honor of Mr. and Mrs. Kenneth E. Alexandra Stafford and Raymond Café Maspero Inc./Charles and Robert O. Gayle Edwin Newburger, and in memory of Rathlé Jr. Bobby Malachias John Geiser III Mrs. L. Ramsay Straub Dr. S. Frederick Starr Mimi Calhoun Dr. and Mrs. Charles Genre Kimball P. Marshall, PhD Jed M. Stedman Dr. and Mrs. Keith Cangelosi Dr. Charles Gereighty Bethlyn J. McCloskey Mr. and Mrs. Richard B. Stephens Shirley Cannon Sybil G. Gibson Mary Jane and Lem McCoy Carter Stevens Cheryl Koch Caprera Mrs. Wilson H. Gibson Mr. and Mrs. Stanley McDermott Jr. Felicity Strachan Dr. and Mrs. Michael E. Carey Gay Rhodes Gladhart Dr. and Mrs. Lamar McMillin Jonathan Stubbs Anne Carmichael and Henry Opperman Annabella Gorham Joseph P. Mencigar Ann Dubuisson Sturgill Nell Carmichael Sara Gothard Mr. and Mrs. Joseph O. Mikes Matson C. Terry II Judson Chase Dr. and Mrs. Roger Graetz Mrs. Michael J. Molony Jr. Dr. and Mrs. Eugene B. Tilton Mrs. Douglas M. Chesson David C. Graham David Monroe Charlotte L. Todd J. Scott Chotin Jr. Mr. and Mrs. Lawrence C. Guice Jr. John D. Monteiro Charles J. Torrey Mr. and Mrs. William K. Christovich, Dr. and Mrs. Benjamin A. Guider Jr. Laura Deer Moore Catherine Burns Tremaine bookplates in memory of Frank Estate of Peter Edward Hagan III Mr. and Mrs. Dave J. Morgan Thomas Robert Trubiano J. Masson, Bryan Bell, Aline Folse Charlene M. Haik Margo Moscou Pamela S. Turner Heausler, Marjorie Bouche Viavant, Mr. and Mrs. Terrell Hall Mrs. J. Frederick Muller Jr. Eleonora B. Vogt and Guy C. Lyman Jr. Collin B. Hamer Jr. Nancy Dozier Murray and A. Ben Wagner Carmen and Charles Clark Mr. and Mrs. William L. Hanley Erik K. Schwarz Ninette P. Webster Pam and Michael Cohn Carolyn M. Hecker Neal Auction Company Carmelite B. Wellman Dr. and Mrs. C. C. Coles The Helis Foundation John Neisler Mrs. Bill Wheatley Community Coffee Company Mr. and Mrs. Daniel R. Henderson Mr. and Mrs. Jerry K. Nicholson Walter H. White III Rosemary Compagno Mr. and Mrs. John H. Hernandez Chris and Phil Nizialek Mercedes B. Whitecloud Deborah Carroll Conery and Mrs. Gregory R. Hidden NOLA Brewing Company Estate of Ed Wiegand Walter Carroll Jr. Barbara Higgins George L. Osborn Emily and John Wilbert Billie A. Cook Estate of Mary Cranford Holcombe Dr. Martin Ott Frank Lee Wills Ellen and Ray Cook Mona H. Hollier Mr. and Mrs. John W. Parham Mr. and Mrs. Charles Wilson William C. Cook, The William C. C. Robert Holloway Carol Layton Parsons Lisa H. Wilson Cook Advised Fund of The Michael Hopping Nicholas Paskert Dr. Barbara C. Wingo Community Foundation of Karyl Pierce Paxton Dr. and Mrs. Nathaniel Winstead Middle Tennessee Lee Ann W. Howard Jennifer Dyer Pedrami Peter M. Wolf Frances Cordell Melanie K. Hubbs Robert S. Perkin Suzanne Rau Wolfe Court of Two Sisters Alvena Ivy and Jay Friberg Paule B. Perret John T. Womble The Rev. Stephen Craft Rita Lynn Jackson Claiborne Perrilliat Jane and H. L. Dufour Woolfley Mr. and Mrs. Don S. Cross Mr. and Mrs. Ted R. Jambon Peter A. Mayer Advertising Alice and Bill Wright Irv Cuevas Kay and Trent James Mr. and Mrs. Robert E. Peyton Clifford S. Wright Sylvia A. Cureau Mr. and Mrs. R. Andrew Jardine Rhonda F. Pirtle Cornelia E. Wyma Gabrielle and Chuck Cusimano Jewish Endowment Foundation Mrs. Eads B. Poitevent Patsy S. Zanco Mary Anne Pecot de Boisblanc of Louisiana Julie Posner Pat Zavoda and Joseph Byers Katherine de Montluzin Dr. Dorothy M. Joiner Dr. Bruce Boyd Raeburn Mr. and Mrs. Adrian J. Zeno J. Edwin DeJean Jr. John Karel Mr. and Mrs. Henry J. Read Nathalie H. Dessens Dr. Jan Kasofsky and E. Flynn Dr. and Mrs. William D. Reeves Rosanna Dichiro and Zac Derbes Michael B. Kehoe Renaissance Publishing

12 Volume XXVII, Number 1 — Winter 2010 Donor Profile: Chris and Gaby Cannon

“New Orleans gets in your blood.” They e-mailed and visited each other So says Chris Cannon, who grew up regularly. Two weeks before Hurricane in and north Louisiana Katrina, Gaby visited Chris in New but has deep roots in the city. His Orleans. After her visit, his mother great-grandfather established the well- insisted that they go ring shopping known French Quarter praline shop because he “needed to propose to Gaby Aunt Sally’s, which the family still before she got away,” but the storm hit owns today. Throughout his child- before Chris purchased the ring they hood Chris spent holidays and sum- selected. Upon his return he checked mer vacations in New Orleans visiting on the ring daily, passing by the French relatives; today, he is the ninth genera- Quarter jewelry shop to see if it had tion of his family to call the city home. reopened. In September 2005 he pro- Chris, Gaby, and Heather Cannon Gaby Cannon, a native of Tegucigalpa, posed to Gaby, and the couple married Honduras, has come to love New eight months later in Tegucigalpa. at Tulane University. On January 16, Orleans as well, thanks in part to her Hurricane Katrina was the impe- 2009, the couple welcomed a daugh- time volunteering as a docent at The tus for change in Chris and Gaby’s ter, Heather Amelia. Through all the Historic New Orleans Collection. lives. Chris decided to leave the Marine changes and ups and downs of these “I didn’t know anything about New Corps because he wanted to be part past years, the Cannons have remained Orleans and Louisiana when I moved of the rebuilding and rebirth of New “one-hundred-ten-percent committed here,” she said. “At The Collection I Orleans. He went to work for Supe- to New Orleans,” says Chris. That learned about the region’s rich history rior Energy Services, but three months commitment has led them to support and culture, and, in turn, I fell in love later he was recalled by the Marines The Historic New Orleans Collection. with the area and now call it home.” and sent to Iraq for a nine-month tour. Chris had come to know The Collec- Chris and Gaby met in Febru- Because Gaby had just applied for resi- tion long before Gaby volunteered ary 2002. Chris, who had entered dency and a work visa, she could not there. He remembers visiting as a child the Marine Corps after graduating return to Honduras or get a job in and being anxious to cross the street from college, was stationed at Camp Chris’s absence. She had begun volun- to visit the toy soldier shop. Today, Lejeune, in Jacksonville, North Caro- teering at The Historic New Orleans both he and Gaby enjoy visiting the lina. Gaby was visiting friends at the Collection just prior to the news of museum and taking part in the institu- base. At the time, Gaby, who had grad- Chris’s recall, and this position became tion’s many programs. uated from the Catholic University of essential to her while she was alone “The Collection is very much a Honduras and the Diplomatic School in the city. “The staff at The Collec- leader in the community and brings in Madrid, Spain, was serving as the tion adopted me and made me feel at people together for a common cause— deputy chief of protocol for the For- home,” said Gaby. “They were my sec- the preservation of the region’s history,” eign Ministry of Honduras. ond family while Chris was in Iraq.” says Chris. The couple is particularly Shortly after their meeting, Chris Chris returned from his tour in impressed by the institution’s dedica- was sent to Iraq and the two fell out of May 2007 and now serves as a major tion to preserving the French Quarter touch. But when Chris returned from in the reserves. The couple purchased a and its unique architecture. “For us, it his tour of duty and was stationed, home in Old Metairie, and Chris went is so important to support The Collec- at his request, in his beloved New back to work at Superior Energy. Gaby tion because they give so much back to Orleans, he reconnected with Gaby, took a job as a senior program coordi- the city.” who was still living in Tegucigalpa. nator in the Office of Alumni Affairs —Mary Mees Garsaud

The Historic New Orleans Collection Quarterly 13 acquisitions Laussat Gala The Historic New Orleans Collection On October 14, members of the Laussat encourages research in the Society gathered at the home of Matilda Williams Research Center Stream for a gala evening. at 410 Chartres Street from Cuqui Moore 9:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday (except holidays). Cataloged materials available to researchers include books, manuscripts, paintings, prints, draw- ings, maps, photographs, and artifacts about the history and , Louisiana, and the Gulf South. Each year The Collection adds thou- Jack Pruitt and Julie Jardine sands of items to its holdings. Though Sherry and Charles Snyder and Matilda Stream only selected gifts are mentioned here, the importance of all gifts cannot be overstated. Prospective donors are invited to contact the authors of the acquisitions columns.

Manuscripts For the third quarter of 2009 (July– September), there were 28 acquisitions, Jerry Fischer and John Turner Wendy and George Rodrigue totaling approximately 43 linear feet. The Historic New Orleans Col- lection recently acquired the William HAVE YOU CONSIDERED Shannon Harper Papers, which include A PLANNED GIFT? correspondence between Harper, a river- boat captain, and his wife, Ariadne, To better serve the community, The Historic New Orleans Collection is pleased to shortly before the outbreak of the Civil offer the following planned giving materials free of charge: War. William “Billy” Harper was born • Giving Through Life Insurance in Wilmington, Delaware, in 1820. In • Giving Through Charitable Remainder Trusts January 1851 in St. Louis, Missouri, • Giving Through Your Will he married Missouri native Ariadne M. • Giving Securities Stine, whom he nicknamed Adda. The • Giving Real Estate couple’s son, Henry, was born the follow- • Giving Through Retirement Plans ing year in Newport, Kentucky. During • Giving Through Gift Annuities the late 1850s, Adda and Henry lived in New Orleans while William traveled To receive materials or for more information about planned giving, please call the professionally. By 1860, the family had development office at (504) 598-7109. returned to St. Louis, where William Harper died of paralysis on November All inquiries are held in strictest confidence and are without obligation. The Historic 21, 1884, at Memorial Home. New Orleans Collection does not offer legal or tax advice. We encourage you to consult Letters between Adda and Billy in your legal and financial advisors for structuring a gift plan that achieves your giving late 1859 and early 1860 indicate that intentions and meets your particular financial circumstances. Adda was living on Camp Street in New Orleans while Billy was in St. Louis. Adda wrote of Henry and of annoyances

14 Volume XXVII, Number 1 — Winter 2010 such as mosquitoes and a hostile Irish sons, Thomas J. Shaffer and John J. landlady. Shaffer, who operated Anna and Mag- Vessels associated with Harper’s nolia plantations, respectively. Both maritime career include the Ferd Ken- Civil War veterans, Thomas and John nett and the Imperial. Built in St. Louis actively participated in Confederate vet- in 1861, the Ferd Kennett was engaged erans’ groups. Many items in the papers in the New Orleans–St. Louis and relate to John J. Shaffer’s son John New Orleans–Memphis trades. The Dalton Shaffer, proprietor of Ardoyne vessel carried mail for the Confederacy Plantation, and grandson John Dalton until it was scuttled in 1863 as hostilities Shaffer Jr. Both men were important fig- worsened. The Imperial, which Harper ures in the sugarcane planting and refin- partly owned, was built in Cincin- ing businesses from the late 19th through nati in 1863; it was lost in ice at Bon the early 20th centuries. John Dalton Homme Island, South Dakota, in 1867. Shaffer Sr. was also a prominent law- (2009.0267) yer and a state senator. (2009.0233) Cover of the special edition of the play Les Another recent acquisition is the (2009.0246) Massacres de la Syrie by Victor Séjour, printed 1783 ledger kept by 18th-century New —Mary Lou Eichhorn for III Orleans merchant Jean DuHart. Writ- ten primarily in French, with the excep- Library (plate 2659) in the classic work of tion of notations of monetary amounts For the third quarter of 2009 (July– French bookbinding and heraldry which are recorded in British pounds, September), there were 48 acquisitions, Manuel de l’amateur de reliures armoriées the 17-page manuscript concerns totaling 50 items. françaises by Eugène Olivier, Georges DuHart’s commercial transactions in Victor Séjour (1817–1874), New Hermel, and Robert de Roton (, St. Domingue and the French cities of Orleans–born playwright and free 1924–38). The Collection’s copy of Les Rochefort and Brest. He dealt mostly in person of color, was a contributor Massacres de la Syrie was subsequently fabrics, from muslin to satin, and sold to Les Cenelles (New Orleans, 1845), owned by scholars/collectors Henri luxury goods, such as watches, china, the first compilation of poetry by Béraldi (bibliographer and historian of and glassware. The names of individuals African Americans to be published in bookbinding), Pierre Guerquin (former to whom materials were sold are indi- the United States. He also wrote short director of the Musées nationaux de cated, and DuHart briefly mentions the stories, an early serialized novel, and France), and Gerard Souham (the great “likes and dislikes” of the Americans in 22 plays, which were produced during Napoleonic collector). The bookplates New Orleans. (2009.0244) his lifetime in his adopted city of of Béraldi, Guerquin, and Souham are The ledger complements other Paris. On December 28, 1860, Séjour present. (2009.0198) important THNOC holdings related premiered his play Les Massacres de Charles-Etienne Briseux (1680?– to business transactions in the Spanish la Syrie (The Syrian Massacres) at the 1754), Jean-François Blondel (1683– colonial era, such as memoranda relat- Théâtre Impérial du Cirque in Paris. 1756), and Jacques-François Blondel ing to commercial reform and trade The play dramatizes a series of atrocities (1705–1774) were leaders in architec- relations between Louisiana and France perpetrated against the Christians in tural education in 18th-century France (MSS 98) and the Colonial and Early Syria under Ottoman rule that resulted and are credited with establishing the Territorial Louisiana Collection (MSS in the French intervention of 1861. design principles for domestic architec- 579), which contains a series entitled The Collection recently acquired a ture during the period. The Collection “Trade and the Port of New Orleans.” special edition of Les Massacres de la Syrie recently acquired Architecture Mod- The Shaffer family of Terrebonne printed on Chinese paper by J. Barbré erne, ou L’Art de Bien Bâtir pout Toutes Parish operated several successful sugar- of Paris for Napoleon III, who attended Sortes de Personnes... (Paris, 1729), a cane plantations during the 19th and a performance of the play. The binding two-volume work by architect, drafts- early 20th centuries. Margaret Minor is particularly beautiful. The front and man, and author Briseux. The first vol- Shaffer recently donated correspondence, back are framed by four thin lines with ume contains five treatises on French financial and legal documents, record the imperial monogram presented at an construction practices. The second vol- books, and ephemera documenting the angle in each of the four corners and the ume contains plans, façade drawings, and family and its business concerns. coat of arms in the center, all embossed elevations for different types of build- William A. Shaffer, proprietor of in gold. This rendering of the imperial ings. The work is considered essential for Crescent Farm Plantation, had two coat of arms was selected for inclusion understanding French construction and

The Historic New Orleans Collection Quarterly 15 not all of their research at the Williams Arthur P. Bedou (1882–1966) had Research Center. A few recently acquired an active photographic practice in New titles include: “Setting the Stage: Dance Orleans for decades, serving for a time and Gender in Old-Line New Orleans as a photographer at Xavier Univer- Carnival Balls, 1870–1920” by Jennifer sity. He is known for his role as Booker Atkins; “The Reception of Tennessee T. Washington’s personal photographer Williams’s Longest Rewrite: Reassessing during Washington’s tenure as the head ‘Battle of Angels,’ ‘Orpheus Descending,’ of the Tuskegee Normal and Industrial and ‘The Fugitive Kind’” by Mary Institute in Alabama. According to his Anne Chalaire; and “One ‘Speck’ of June 3, 1966, obituary in the Times- Imperfection—Invisible Blackness and Picayune, Bedou was a founder of the the One-Drop Rule: An Interdisciplinary People’s Insurance Company of Loui- Approach to Examining Plessy v. Ferguson siana, as well as an officer and mem- and Jane Doe v. State of Louisiana” by ber of its board. Awarded a gold medal Erica Faye Cooper. (2009.0196.1, .3, .5) for his photography at the Jamestown —Pamela D. Arceneaux Ter-Centennial Exposition in 1907, Bedou is regularly accounted for in Curatorial publications about prominent African American photographers in the United For the third quarter of 2009 (July– States. (2009.0228) September), there were 35 acquisitions Jay Dearborn Edwards ranks among totaling more than 1,500 items. the most notable photographers working A recently acquired photograph in New Orleans during the late 1850s. highlights the careers of two notable An impressive collection of his works has artistic figures of early 20th-century been in the possession of The Historic Photograph of New Orleans musician A. J. Piron New Orleans: musician A. J. Piron and New Orleans Collection since 1982 and by New Orleans photographer A. P. Bedou, 1923 photographer A. P. Bedou. Armand was recently the subject of the exhibi- J. Piron (1888–1943) was a violinist, tion A Closer Look: The Antebellum architectural practice at the time of New bandleader, and composer of early jazz Photographs of Jay Dearborn Edwards, Orleans’s founding. (2009.0199.1, .2) music. He first performed with Papa 1858–1861. This collection has recently Although the cover of the recently Celestin’s Tuxedo Orchestra in 1916. been expanded by the acquisition of acquired program from Saenger’s St. Two years later he and Clarence Williams 20 photographs attributed to Edwards. Charles Theatre advertises a forthcom- formed Piron’s New Orleans Orchestra. (2009.0224.1–.20) ing presentation of the play My Son, the Piron and Williams copublished many The grouping comprises a fine view focus of the program is Naughty Cinder- songs, including “If I Could Shimmy of Jackson Square from the riverfront, ella, a sophisticated comedy in three acts Like My Sister Kate,” which is by Avery Hopwood. Naughty Cinderella often attributed to Louis Arm- was on view at the St. Charles Theatre strong. The orchestra enjoyed local the week of February 13, 1927. The success but Piron took the group to program also features a column detailing New York in 1923, the same year backstage and moving-picture gossip, a his portrait photograph was made variety of advertisements for local busi- by Bedou. After a short time, the nesses, and a brief piece further enticing band, unhappy with the setting theatergoers to My Son, “A Touching and climate of New York, voted to Drama of Mother Love,” opening the return to New Orleans. Through- following week. (2009.0204) out the 1920s Piron’s Orchestra Dissertations on topics of interest served as a house band of sorts at to the history and culture of the Gulf the New Orleans Country Club South region are ordered regularly and performed on cruise steamers from UMI Dissertation Services, a and at Spanish Fort, Tranchina’s Home of the Nathan C. Folger family at 1019 division of ProQuest. The authors of Restaurant, and elsewhere for wealthy , attributed to Jay Dearborn Edwards, between 1857 and 1861 these works often conducted some if white audiences in New Orleans.

16 Volume XXVII, Number 1 — Winter 2010 a photograph of the Congregationalist Become a Member Unitarian Church of the Messiah at the of The Historic New Orleans Collection corner of St. Charles and Julia streets, portraits of the Nathan C. Folger family, and photographs of the family’s home at 1019 Carondelet Street. The photograph In addition to preserving Louisiana’s past for future of Jackson Square was probably taken generations, you will receive several benefits as a shortly after the 1857 unveiling of the member of The Historic New Orleans Collection. monument, which is • Complementary admission to The Collection’s prominently featured. That of the Con- permanent tours, including the Louisiana gregationalist church captures the lavish History Galleries, Williams Residence, and architecture of the octagonal structure Courtyards and Architecture designed by John Barnett. The Gothic- • Invitations to members-only events and style building was constructed between exhibition previews 1853 and 1855 and was demolished • 10 percent discount on all items in The Shop soon after 1900. Nathan Folger (1810– at The Collection 1878), a successful New Orleans whole- • Subscription to The Collection’s donor sale clothing dealer, hailed from Hudson, newsletter New York. The Folger family portraits • Subscription to The Historic New Orleans include Nathan, his wife Madeline, née Collection Quarterly Godfrey (d. 1904), the couple’s five sons • Free admission to the Concerts in the and three daughters, Nathan’s mother, Courtyard series and several other family members. The Collection’s large assortment of Mardi Gras ephemera was recently Choose your level of membership enhanced by the donation of a dozen Membership at all levels carries benefits for the entire household: a single individual or a photograph albums from Don and couple, along with any children under age 18. Diane Cross. Brimming with hundreds of images and other items, the albums document the gatherings, events, and Founder $35 Laussat Society $1,000 balls of the Krewe of Noblads between Full membership package Full membership privileges; a special gift; 1940 and 1959. (2009.0250) private, guided tours of The Collection Merieult Society $100 (advance scheduling required); free Noblads first appeared in 1937 as Full membership privileges; a special gift the women’s contingent of the Ancient admission to all evening lectures; invi- exclusive to the Merieult Society; recog- tations to special receptions and tours; Arabic Order of the Nobles of the nition on donor wall Mystic Shrine (Shriners). The men’s invitation to annual gala evening; recog- krewes at the time were Moslem and Mahalia Society $250 nition on Laussat Society donor wall Full membership privileges; a special gift Mecca. Noblads stood for “Nobles’ Bienville Circle $5,000 Ladies.” The Noblads’ ball was held exclusive to the Mahalia Society; private, Full membership privileges; membership at the Jerusalem Temple on St. Charles guided tours of The Collection (advance in the Laussat Society; a special gift; private, Avenue until 1955, when it moved to scheduling required); recognition on guided tours of The Collection; free admis- the Municipal Auditorium. The tradi- donor wall sion to all conferences; invitations to special tional gender roles that were part of the Jackson Society $500 member receptions and tours; invitation to protocol for the balls of male krewes were Full membership privileges; a special gift annual gala evening; invitation to a pri- reversed in the case of Noblads: the iden- exclusive to the Jackson Society; private, vate luncheon with the executive director; tities of the queen and ladies-in-waiting guided tours of The Collection (advance recognition on Bienville Circle donor wall were kept secret, while the king and scheduling required); recognition on dukes remained recognizable. Noblads is donor wall no longer in existence, but the date of the organization’s disbandment is unknown. For more information, please visit www.hnoc.org, or call the Development —John Magill and John H. Lawrence Office at (504) 598-7173. All inquiries are confidential and without obligation.

The Historic New Orleans Collection Quarterly 17 Farewell to Two Longtime Staff Members

Chuck Patch Sally Stassi

n the fall, The Collection bid fare- development of a Web site, and the build- document-management consultant for well to two staff members who had ing of a network infrastructure for the the National Gallery of Art in Wash- Ieach served the institution for more Williams Research Center. Addition- ington, DC, and is currently consulting than 15 years. Former director of systems ally, Chuck designed the obituary index on digital workflow for the Portland Art Chuck Patch moved to Baltimore in the database and, with the assistance of cur- Museum in Oregon. fall of 2007 and recently completed the rent director of systems Carol Bartels, Sally Stassi joined the staff as a work he had been doing on a contract designed the database for and oversaw part-time docent in 1990. Four years basis for The Collection. Reference the digitization of the photographs later she was hired full time as a refer- associate Sally Stassi retired in October. by early 20th-century photographer ence assistant in the curatorial reading Both made lasting contributions to the Daniel S. Leyrer in the Vieux Carré room. At that time there were separate institution and will be greatly missed by Survey. Finally, Chuck represented The reading rooms for the three divisions their colleagues. Collection in its participation in the of the institution’s collections—curato- In 1986 Chuck Patch joined the Louisiana Gumbo Project, an initiative rial, manuscripts, and library—which staff as the systems manager—or as he to provide digital resources to K–12 were consolidated when the Williams puts it, “the commander of The Col- students and educators, researchers, Research Center opened in 1996. Sally lection’s one computer, the HP3000 writers, and genealogists. Funded by the became an expert on the visual materi- mini computer.” That computer ran the Institute of Museum and Library Ser- als in The Collection’s holdings and was new collections-management system, vices (IMLS) through a grant awarded particularly adept at assisting researchers Facets, which was custom designed for to the State Library of Louisiana, the with acquiring rights and reproductions THNOC. When Chuck arrived, there project draws from the holdings of The for these items. During her tenure, Sally were no records in the system, but over Collection, the , also completed a database for the exten- the next several years the institution’s and LOUIS (The Louisiana Library sive Louisiana Artists Files, making this accession ledgers were transcribed and Network). The resources are accessible archive of some 20,000 entries on New entered into Facets. As the holdings con- at www.louisianadigitallibrary.com Orleans and Louisiana artists and art tinued to grow, the management system According to Chuck, The Collec- organizations more easily searchable. required updating and restructuring. To tion has always been at the forefront of In her 15 years of service, Sally that end, Chuck assisted with the design collections-management-system design, assisted hundreds of researchers, but in and implementation of Quixis, the sys- due in part to the administration’s will- her mind, they assisted her. “I learned tem that replaced Facets in 1989. And ingness to try new technology. This and so much from working with research- in recent years he oversaw the shift from the beautiful work environment and ers,” said Sally. “I gained a new under- Quixis to MINT (Minisis Integrated), stellar, dedicated staff made Chuck’s standing of not only Louisiana history the current system. days at The Collection fulfilling and but national and international his- In 1991 Chuck was named direc- enjoyable. Chuck relocated to Baltimore tory through assisting researchers from tor of systems, and over the next 15 with his wife, Iris, a biochemist, who around the world.” In her retirement, years he spearheaded a range of proj- took a professorship at the University Sally looks forward to spending more ects bringing The Collection into the of Maryland’s School of Medicine. In time with her three grandchildren, fish- digital age, including the installation of addition to completing contract work ing trout in Cocodrie, and gardening. the local area network (Windows), the for The Collection, he has served as a

18 Volume XXVII, Number 1 — Winter 2010 The Shop

In conjunction with carnival season, The Shop is selling hand-blown glass cups in the traditional Mardi Gras colors (purple, green, and gold) by local artisan James Vella. The cups reproduce the design of an 1860s mineral-water bottle manufactured by S. Pablo & Son, a company located at 70 in Marigny. Vella made a mold from one of several original bottles he found buried in Marigny and Bywater. The Pablo Cups sell for $30 each. To order, call (504) 598-7147.

The Shop has also produced a limited edition giclée print of View of New Orleans taken from the Lower Cotton Press by Bernard J. Dondorf (engraver) and Louis Schwarz (publisher), 1852 (1949.17). Only 150 prints, measuring 30"x15", have been produced. They sell for $160 and are available online at www.hnoc.org or may be ordered by calling (504) 598-7147.

Editor Staff Mary Mees Garsaud Director of Publications Jessica Dorman Publications Head of Photography Keely Merritt Judith Bonner, “William Woodward: Muse to the Preservationist Movement in the Design Vieux Carré,” in William Woodward: American Impressionist, ed. Robert Hinckley (New Theresa Norris Orleans, 2009); art reviews in New Orleans Art Review; articles in Arts Quarterly (New The Historic New Orleans Collection Quarterly is published by The Historic New Orleans Collection, Orleans Museum of Art) and Louisiana Cultural Vistas; and entries for the Louisiana which is operated by the Kemper and Leila Williams Endowment for the Humanities’ online dictionary, KnowLA; Erin Greenwald, “To Foundation, a Louisiana nonprofit corporation. Housed in a complex of historic buildings in the Strike a Balance: New Orleans’ Free Colored Community and the Diplomacy of William French Quarter, facilities are open to the public, Charles Cole Claiborne,” in Nexus of Empire: Negotiating Loyalty and Identity in the Tuesday through Saturday, from 9:30 a.m. until 4:30 p.m., and Sunday, from 10:30 a.m. until Revolutionary Borderlands, 1760s–1820s, eds. Gene Allen Smith and Sylvia L. Hilton 4:30 p.m. Tours of the History Galleries and the (Gainesville: University Press of Florida, 2010); John Magill, with Peggy Scott Laborde, Williams Residence are available for a nominal fee. Christmas in New Orleans (New Orleans: Pelican Publishing, 2009). Board of Directors Mrs. William K. Christovich, Chairman Charles A. Snyder, President In the Community John Kallenborn Fred M. Smith John E. Walker, Immediate Past President Michelle Gaynor was elected to the board of the French Quarter Business Association. Drew Jardine R. Hunter Pierson Jr. Daniel Hammer was elected to and named secretary of the board of Save Our Cemeteries. E. Alexandra Stafford Priscilla Lawrence, Executive Director Interns The Historic New Orleans Collection Tess Clifton, Tulane University, manuscripts department; Colin Meneghini, master’s 533 Royal Street in architecture with certificate in preservation studies, Tulane University, and Charlotte New Orleans, Louisiana 70130 (504) 523-4662 Young, Louise S. McGehee School, education department. [email protected] • www.hnoc.org ISSN 0886-2109 © 2010 The Historic New Orleans Collection Volunteers Donald Haller, Joe Oubre, and Cathie Reggiero, docent department.

The Historic New Orleans Collection Quarterly 19 Kemper and Leila Williams Foundation THE HISTORIC NEW ORLEANS COLLECTION 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

At The Collection

On October 7, 2009, The Collection hosted a reception in honor of the opening of Between Colony and State: Louisiana in the Territorial Period, 1803–1812. Visitors to the exhibition galleries enjoyed perusing the maps, books, manuscripts, and images that bring the territorial period to life. Between Colony and State continues on view at 533 Royal Street through May 2, 2010.

On November 13, The Collection, with support from the Consulate General of France in New Orleans and the Jewish Endowment Foundation of Louisiana, hosted a colloquium exploring The Alsace-Lorraine Jewish Experience in Louisiana and the Gulf South. Scholars traced the immigration of Jews from Alsace-Lorraine to Louisiana and the Gulf South and discussed the cultural legacy of a group whose descendants continue to play an active role in our region.

Colloquium participants (left to right): Daniel Hammer, Erin Greenwald, Colloquium Priscilla Pamela Dorn Sezgin, Patricia Behre, Catherine C. Kahn, Lee Shai participant Lawrence with Weissbach, Jessica Dorman, and Anny Bloch-Raymond Barry Stiefel French Consul with Charles General Olivier Snyder Brochenin

On December 1, The Collection welcomed participants from PhotoNOLA, an annual celebration of photography in New Orleans coordinated by the New Orleans Photo Alliance, for a reception in honor of the opening of Remembering “Dogs in My Life”: The Photographs of John T. Mendes. Pictured (left to right) are Mark Sindler, president of the New Orleans Photo Alliance, and Brazilian photographer Alvaro Villela. Remembering “Dogs in My Life” continues on view at the Williams Research Center through April 3.