First Draft - Local Life

June 30, 2022
By THNOC staff

Bruce Sunpie Barnes, Big Chief of the North Side Skull and Bone Gang, describes a Mardi Gras Black masking tradition.




May 20, 2022
By Nina Bozak, curator of rare books

The bohemian scene of midcentury New Orleans comes to life in an exciting new acquisition.




May 5, 2022
By Judy Cooper, author-photographer of "Dancing in the Streets: Social Aid and Pleasure Clubs of New Orleans"

From the beginning of Jazz Fest, organizer George Wein sought to showcase culture bearers like Mardi Gras Indians and social aid and pleasure clubs alongside musicians. "Dancing in the Streets" author Judy Cooper shares the history of this "heritage on display."




April 21, 2022
By Nick Weldon, editor

A Q&A with Yuts, the pseudonymous creator of the acclaimed indie game Norco, and Richard Sexton, photographer and author of Enigmatic Stream: Industrial Landscapes of the Lower Mississippi River.




March 25, 2022
By Nick Weldon, editor

The story of how feral hogs arrived at New Orleans’s doorstep, 500 years in the making.




March 10, 2022
By Molly Reid Cleaver, editor

Across his songs, stories, and interviews, Danny Barker embraced the rhythms and archetypes of African American folklore, using his skills as a writer and storyteller to paint indelible portraits of his own folk creations. Here are excerpts illustrating five of his best characters.




February 18, 2022
Jari Honora, reference associate

Since the 1890s, Black Carnival clubs have presented debutantes at their elegant annual balls.




February 16, 2022
By THNOC Visitor Services

How does a krewe work? What does the king do? And what about all those beads? THNOC’s Visitor Services staff have the answers.




February 9, 2022
By Mallory Taylor, associate curator

The photography of Making Mardi Gras shows snapshots of Carnival through time, from Big Chiefs to ‘tit Rex.




January 21, 2022
By THNOC Visitor Services

Ever wanted to take New Orleans History 101? While no intro course can be comprehensive, we've assembled 13 summaries of major themes, events, people, and places, with lots of links to further reading.






 

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