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The Historic New Orleans Collection
HNOC in the News

Country Roads Magazine Examines the Clarence John Laughlin Archive at HNOC

August 26, 2026

The article explores the surrealist photographer’s archive as viewed as an architectural survey of the Gothic south.

A black and white double exposure image featuring a landscape with trees and a person standing on a path, pointing. The overlay includes a classical building with columns. Moss hangs from the trees, creating an atmospheric effect.
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More on Clarence John Laughlin

Collection highlights

Clarence John Laughlin Archive

Books

Haunter of Ruins: The Photography of Clarence John Laughlin

A black and white image of a dilapidated house with a figure in the attic window. The text reads Haunter of Ruins: The Photography of Clarence John Laughlin. There are broken shutters in the foreground.

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First Draft

The 19th-Century Family Found in an Attic

First Draft

The Intimate Eye of George Dureau

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A nun stands outside a building with three large arched windows. She is facing the windows, holding a book. The building is white with some visible plants and a tree on the right. The scene has a quiet, contemplative atmosphere.

Mother St. Croix Photographs of Ursuline Convent

The ebullient nun documented her cloisters, sisters, and pupils with care and skill. In doing so she became the earliest known woman to photographically record daily life in New Orleans

A city street is heavily flooded, with water reaching building heights. People gather on a section of dry road in the foreground. The skyline of a city with high-rise buildings is visible in the background, partially obscured by mist.

7:28AM August 30, 2005

One photographer’s look at a city waking up to disaster.

A person stands outdoors, holding a translucent fabric over their head against a textured wall. The shadow casts an intricate pattern on the wall. A potted plant and some grass are visible in the foreground.

Clarence John Laughlin Archive

Through his dreamlike black-and-white images, the surrealist Louisiana photographer explored, amplified, and commented on the mystique of the South.

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A vintage, sepia-toned portrait in an ornate frame shows a woman seated next to a young child. Both wear 19th-century clothing. The frame features intricate floral designs and sits next to a decorative velvet-like cover.
Photography & Photographers

From Daguerreotype to Digital

A look at over 20 different photographic processes and techniques represented in HNOC’s holdings, from the daguerreotype to the digital prints of today.

A serene, monochrome seascape with large cargo ships in the distance. A lone figure walks through shallow water in the foreground, under a cloudy sky, creating a peaceful yet dramatic scene.
Industry & Natural Resources

Enigmatic Stream: Industrial Landscapes of the Lower Mississippi River

Photographs by Richard Sexton capture the essence of a complicated, often mysterious section of the country’s largest waterway.

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