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The Historic New Orleans Collection
A realistic statue of an osprey with detailed brown and white feathers, perched on a tree stump base. The ospreys beak is open, and it stands against a neutral gray background.

Birds of a Feather

Wildfowl Carving in Southeast Louisiana

Whether considered as discrete objects or transmitters of a larger folkloric tradition, decoys transcend their material essence. They offer paths to exploring Louisiana’s unique individuals, communities, and cultures.

Birds of a Feather offers an introduction to the art and history of an important Louisiana tradition. Part 1, “Early Working Decoys,” features the utilitarian yet artistic expressions created in seven geographic areas of Louisiana from the mid-nineteenth through the mid-twentieth centuries. Part 2, “Contemporary Carvings,” traces the evolution of decoy carving from a folk art to a competitive art and features decoys by some of today’s most celebrated decorative carvers, including Jimmie Vizier and Tan and Jett Brunet. This catalog accompanied a 2007–8 exhibition at the Historic New Orleans Collection.

Two carved wooden ducks are displayed on a blue background beneath text reading Birds of a Feather: Wildfowl Carving in Southeast Louisiana, with exhibition dates and location at the bottom.

Birds of a Feather: Wildfowl Carving in Southeast Louisiana

A detailed wooden carving of a duck against a light blue background, showcasing realistic textures and colors with a glossy brown head, white neck, and intricately painted wings in shades of gray, brown, and green.
A detailed, intricately carved duck decoy with a blue bill, black head, and reddish-brown body is set against an orange background. Its tail feathers are raised, showcasing craftsmanship.

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From the Sky, There’s No Denying Louisiana’s Disappearing Coastline

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Ida’s Place in Louisiana’s Long History of Hurricanes

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Flood State 048, 2017, photogravure on Japanese kozo paper by Jennifer Shaw.

Flood State

Artist Jennifer Shaw evokes the specter of climate disaster in this photographic series.

Illustration of a brown pelican perched on a branch with green leaves in the background. The bird is depicted in profile, showcasing its long beak and distinctive plumage.

Audubon’s “Birds of America”

John James Audubon’s masterpiece of naturalist art is on display in a double-elephant folio as part of HNOC’s ongoing exhibition A Vanishing Bounty.

A view from above of a faded white model of a space shuttle, connected to its large fuel tank and rocket boosters . The model is "blank" without details on any features except for the rocket nozzles and is set against a black background.

Space Shuttle Model

A model rocket serves as a memento of New Orleans’s role in US space exploration.

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Virtual exhibitions

Enigmatic Stream: Industrial Landscapes of the Lower Mississippi River

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A vintage map of the Gulf Coast region, including parts of modern-day Louisiana, Florida, and Texas, is displayed on a green background. The text reads Charting Louisiana and Five Hundred Years of Maps - The Historic New Orleans Collection.

Charting Louisiana: Five Hundred Years of Maps

edited by Alfred E. Lemmon, John T. Magill, and Jason Wiese; consulting editor, John R. Hébert

Cover of Furnishing Louisiana: Creole and Acadian Furniture, 1735-1835 by The Historic New Orleans Collection. Features ornate wooden furniture detail with decorative patterns and tassel-like designs.

Furnishing Louisiana: Creole and Acadian Furniture, 1735–1835

by Jack D. Holden, H. Parrott Bacot, and Cybèle T. Gontar, with Brian J. Costello and Francis J. Puig
edited by Jessica Dorman and Sarah R. Doerries

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