History is an evolving story. Here at The Historic New Orleans Collection, we gather, research, and share artifacts from New Orleans’ many stories, weaving together the people, places, and events that connect us to the city. First Draft gives readers inside access to our vast institutional holdings and staff expertise in a fresh and dynamic way. Read the latest stories below, or scroll down to browse by theme.

May 18, 2023
Emily Perkins, curatorial cataloger

In the first part of THNOC's "Coming to New Orleans" series, curatorial cataloger Emily Perkins puts immigration to New Orleans in the context of American history.




May 4, 2023
By Joseph Will and Ashanty Felipe, fall 2022 Black digital humanities interns

Two student scholars find answers—and questions—in their search for records of Black craftspeople in New Orleans.




April 26, 2023
By THNOC Staff

Would Sylvanie Williams be proud of the state of women's rights in our country today? Read the moving responses of ten students, winners of the THNOC's 2023 student essay contest.




April 20, 2023
Sarah Duggan, DAGS project manager

Wondering why Baton Rouge's Old State Capitol is a castle? It's because of the Gothic Revival craze that took Louisiana by storm.




April 12, 2023
By Terri Simon, associate editor, and Molly Reid Cleaver, senior editor

Is there any instrument more American than the banjo? In art, music, and even clocks, the legacy of the banjo abides.




March 30, 2023
By Lydia Blackmore, decorative arts curator, and Molly Reid Cleaver, senior editor

The singular showgirl left behind a trove of furnishings and memorabilia, and THNOC has acquired a select group to preserve this spicy slice of French Quarter history.




March 24, 2023
By Nina Bozak, curator of rare books, and Vasser Howorth, manuscripts cataloger

Two THNOC staffers share their work to rehouse the fragile glass-disc masters of 1940s jazz recordings produced by Bill Russell.




February 27, 2023
By Michael M. Redmann, manuscripts cataloger

These images shed light on the lives of three Irish brothers who helped shape turn-of-the-century New Orleans.




February 2, 2023
By Nick Weldon, editor

Music educators are working to ensure that New Orleans’s marching band tradition continues for generations to come.




January 6, 2023

The Historic New Orleans Collection is your destination for all things Carnival in 2023!






 

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