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Vieux Carré Survey Case Study

October 15, 2024

This case study uses HNOC’s Vieux Carré Survey to trace the evolution of the Ursuline Convent and its surroundings.

A black-and-white vintage map showing the layout of St. Marys School and the Archbishops Residence at the intersection of Ursuline Street and another street. The map includes detailed building outlines and street names.

One of HNOC’s most important resources relating to architectural history and urban development is the Collins C. Diboll Vieux Carré Digital Survey (VCS), a comprehensive catalog of land records, photographs, and architectural drawings for every city lot in the French Quarter. This presentation examines the evolution of City Block 19, home to the Ursuline Convent, to illustrate the power of the VCS as a research tool.

Learn more in this presentation created by Shine Trabucco, HNOC Derven Scholar and graduate student at University of Houston.

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Screenshot of a Medium article titled Vieux Carre Survey Case Study by Shine Trabucco, published on August 6, 2021. The excerpt discusses New Orleans social and cultural history, focusing on City Block 19 as a historical resource.
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Derven Scholars

Paid internships for college students interested in museum education

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A Derven Scholar intern works at a desk at the Historic New Orleans Collection.
Research

Vieux Carré Survey

Begun in 1960 to bolster local historic preservation efforts, the survey contains detailed property data about every building and lot in the French Quarter from the French colonial period to the present.

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A vintage street scene with cars parked along a row of historic buildings. The architecture features ornate iron balconies. People are walking on the sidewalk, and a sign for French Quarter Restaurant is visible. The overall tone is nostalgic and historic.

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First Draft

The Woman behind New Orleans’s Famous Pontalba Buildings

The Baroness de Pontalba survived gunshot wounds and left her husband in France before constructing two of New Orleans's most iconic structures.

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First Draft

Beyond Nottoway

The mansion at Nottoway Plantation burned to the ground, but related sites survive across the South.

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Related Collection Highlights

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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

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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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Etching of a courtyard in New Orleans by Louis Conrad Rosenberg. The scene features tables, chairs, a large tree, a fountain at the center, and buildings in the background. There are people seated and walking, adding a lively atmosphere to the setting.

The Court of Two Sisters

A pictorial memento of the landmark restaurant’s history

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Related Books

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Cover of Henry Howard: Louisiana’s Architect by Robert S. Brantley, featuring a historic white mansion with columns and a large porch, surrounded by green trees and a manicured lawn.

Henry Howard: Louisiana’s Architect

by Robert S. Brantley with Victor McGee

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Cover of Creole World by Richard Sexton. Features an old, weathered building facade with a mix of colorful, peeling paint. A gated window is prominent, along with text detailing the books focus on New Orleans and the Latin Caribbean.

Creole World: Photographs of New Orleans and the Latin Caribbean Sphere

by Richard Sexton
with essays by Jay D. Edwards and John H. Lawrence
 

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Illustrated historic crest featuring helmets, swords, and flags. Central text reads Spanish New Orleans and the Caribbean with a bilingual subtitle, La Nueva Orleans y el Caribe españoles.

Spanish New Orleans and the Caribbean / La Nueva Orleans y el Caribe españoles

edited by Alfred E. Lemmon

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