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The Historic New Orleans Collection
HNOC in the News

Louisiana Weekly: HNOC Receives LEH Award for Louisiana Mass Incarceration Exhibit

January 29, 2026

Officials praised “Captive State” for addressing a difficult and often polarizing subject with scholarly depth while remaining accessible to a broad audience.

A historical museum exhibit features a large black-and-white photograph of an old prison building. In front, there is a wooden stock used for restraining prisoners, with openings for neck and wrists. The quote on the photo describes the harsh prison conditions.
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Exhibitions

Captive State: Louisiana and the Making of Mass Incarceration

July 19, 2024 to February 16, 2025

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Books

Captive State: Louisiana and the Making of Mass Incarceration

CAPTIVE STATE cover

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First Draft

A Long Arc of Injustice

First Draft

Processing Hope and Loss in the Prison Portraits of “One Big Self”

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A screenshot from a vintage color film shows part of a ship with the name "VERNON C. BAIN" written on the side.

“Vernon C. Bain” Christening Ceremony Video

When New York City’s war on drugs sent incarceration rates soaring, officials commissioned a floating jail built and christened downriver from New Orleans.

The death notice for John Ward Gurley, dated 1808. The notice in the middle is surrounded with drawings depicting a skull and crossbones, funerial trees, a coffin, and broken column.

Death Notice for John Ward Gurley 

One hot-headed young upstart in early 19th-century Louisiana found his way onto the dueling field, where the odds were not in his favor.

The cover of the newspaper "Hospital Banner" from August of 1955.

Hospital Banner Newsletters

An unusual periodical, written and produced by residents of the state mental hospital in the mid-20th century

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Exhibit wall with a blue panel stating, The institutions of slavery and mass incarceration are historically linked. A section titled CAPTIVE STATE features text and a colorful quilt with nature and wildlife motifs displayed on the right.
Press Release

HNOC Announces Extension of Exhibition Examining Incarceration in Louisiana

November 13, 2024
“Captive State” will be on view through February 16, 2025
Two men are observing an exhibit in a museum. One holds a book while explaining something. Behind them are informational panels and photographs. Text overlays mention a display through January 19, 2025, at 520 Royal St., sponsored by the Historic New Orleans Collection.
HNOC in the News

WWL-TV: Inside a New Exhibit on Mass Incarceration

October 25, 2024
WWL-TV's Great Day Louisiana visited HNOC's new exhibition about the history of mass incarceration in Louisiana.
A tour guide gestures towards an exhibition display at HNOC.
Announcement

“Captive State” Book: Upcoming Local and Regional Literary Events

September 17, 2025
Explore opportunities to learn more about HNOC’s latest publication at upcoming community events.
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