Leila Williams’s Collectible Boxes
A look inside the Williams Residence offers insight into some of the interior decorating styles of the late 1940s and early ’50s, as well as Leila Williams’s personal collecting interests.
A look inside the Williams Residence offers insight into some of the interior decorating styles of the late 1940s and early ’50s, as well as Leila Williams’s personal collecting interests. In this video, Interpretation Assistant Kurt Owens takes you through several rooms of the house, examining the unique little boxes—tea caddies, card boxes, and more—that can be found throughout the home.
By Xiomara Blanco, media producer
Williams Residence
Currently closed for repairs, the historic townhouse offers a window into the day-to-day life of HNOC’s founders in midcentury New Orleans.
Meet Our Founders
Kemper and Leila Williams turned their interests in Louisiana history and French Quarter preservation into a lasting legacy.
Online Catalog
Search or browse through HNOC’s vast collection of manuscripts, artifacts, books, artwork, and more in our online catalog.
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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.
Material Culture from our Holdings
Meeks Dresser
A fine example of early 19th-century furniture, this dresser has a hidden drawer.
Fortier Embroidery Sampler
A 200-year-old piece of needlework by a young student at the Ursuline Convent sheds light on the lives of Catholic Creole girls in early 19th-century Louisiana.
Mementos of Mat, Eliza Jane Nicholson’s Dog
Eliza Jane Nicholson was a pioneering New Orleans journalist who loved her dog so much, she memorialized him in photo, verse, and even jewelry.
Related Virtual Exhibitions
Goods of Every Description: Shopping in New Orleans, 1825–1925
Peer into shop windows of the 19th and early 20th centuries.
Related Books
Complementary Visions of Louisiana Art
with essays by William H. Gerdts, George E. Jordan, and Judith H. Bonner
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