First Draft
Stories from the Historic New Orleans Collection
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East Meets West
Over the course of a century, two iterations of Chinatown in New Orleans shaped the city’s landscape and culture.
Explore the Blog
Browse our latest posts or search by topic.
Moncacht-Apé and His Quest for Native History
Long before Lewis and Clark explored North America, one Indigenous wayfarer crossed the continent—twice—in search of his people’s roots.
How the Circus Helped Define Childhood, and Vice Versa
For a long time, the circus was no place for children. With the rise of mass manufacturing in the late 19th century and new ideas about childhood, that changed.
Daniel F. Galouye’s Fantastic Sci-Fi Future
Long before Black Mirror and Severance, science fiction magazines were a potent way to channel modern anxieties into entertainment media. One New Orleans writer became a leading world builder of weirdness.
A Blue Velvet Bodice and the Darkness Behind a Dream
A researcher draws connections between a 19th-century bodice and David Lynch’s iconic 1986 film, Blue Velvet.
How the Superdome Became a Louisiana Landmark
Nathaniel Curtis Jr. designed the stadium to be a modern counterpart to the great domes of the world.
Threads of Motherhood
The clever construction of a maternity dress offers an intimate glimpse into 19th-century motherhood.
Creole Chic
Along with food and music, fashion was used by Louisiana Creoles to declare and express their unique identity.
Coming to New Orleans, Part IV
Thanks to the rise of the United Fruit Company and the city’s Catholic roots, New Orleans saw an increase in Hispanic residents during the first half of the 20th century.
A Parade of Presidents
HNOC’s holdings shed light on moments when New Orleans welcomed America’s Commander-in-Chief.
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Cajuns & Creoles
Sally Miller or Salomé Müller?
An enslaved woman named Sally Miller went to the Louisiana Supreme Court to sue for her freedom. She won, then she was forgotten.
Identity Theft
Nearly 35 years ago, a heedless conservator altered a rare portrait of a free woman of color. Now, it has been restored and is on view again—and this time, HNOC is telling the story.
What’s the Difference Between Cajun and Creole—Or Is There One?
The answers are tied up in race, class, language, and, of course, history.
New Orleans Icons
Richard Simmons, New Orleans’s Hometown Hero
How a native son who grew up in the French Quarter sweated his way into the spotlight
Shades of Blanche
An experimental theater production sheds new light on one of Tennessee Williams’s most beloved characters.
Danny Barker’s Folk Heroes
The jazzman was also a gifted writer and storyteller who put his own spin on the archetypes of African American folklore, from badmen and blues mamas to “day people and night people.”
Carnival Chronicles
DJ Soul Sister’s Personal Mardi Gras Playlist
In liner notes to a playlist curated for HNOC, the “Queen of Rare Groove” leads a tour through Mardi Gras music history, drawing on her memories as a New Orleans native.
The Renaissance Man Who Changed Mardi Gras
Before he became the father of the Carnival doubloon, H. Alvin Sharpe was a sailor, maker, prospector, and poet.
Carnival Couture
Eight Mardi Gras fashion designs inspired by history, pop culture, and even architecture
North Side Skull and Bone Gang: “You Next!”
Bruce Sunpie Barnes, big chief of the North Side Skull and Bone Gang, describes a Mardi Gras Black masking tradition.
The Defiance of New Orleans’s Black Debutante Tradition
The debutante circuit was once the province of whites only, until Black New Orleanians found their own way to hold court.
The Breadth of Carnival Artistry in Nine Photographs
Snapshots of Carnival through photographic history, from Mardi Gras Indian big chiefs to ‘Tit Rex
How to Catch Beads during Mardi Gras (No, Not That Way)
In a charming DIY pamphlet from 1969, one Carnivalgoer gives humorous tips for how to survive and thrive during Mardi Gras.
HNOC Quarterly
Our members-only magazine, full of pretty pictures, interesting articles, and inside info
New Orleans Stories,
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