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James Booker with an afro, wearing an eye patch, smiles while playing a piano on stage. A crowd of people watches in the background, with a microphone and a can on the piano. The scene is in black and white.

Collection Highlights

Dive into the Collection’s holdings with image-rich previews of treasures from New Orleans history.

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Collection highlights

Polo Silk Photographs

His party pics captured the New Orleans music scene when Cash Money Records and New Orleans rap were on the precipice of worldwide fame.

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Juvenile and Polo Silk, between 1992 and 1999.

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Allison “Tootie” Montana, big chief of the Yellow Pocahontas wearing an elaborate pink and orange feathered costume with detailed beadwork and intricate patterns stands confidently. The outfit includes a large headdress and symbolic designs across the chest and arms.

Michael P. Smith Collection

Smith documented the music, parading, and Black folk traditions of New Orleans for decades.

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Antique map of the Americas depicting sea monsters, ships, and detailed coastlines. Illustrative borders show people and mythical figures, hinting at 16th-century cartography style. Landmasses have Latin inscriptions with decorative compass roses.

Historic Maps from “Cartographic Legacies”

Maps are more than visual representations of landscapes and geographic features; they’re also storytellers.

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An antique wooden box with hinged doors, displaying intricate scenes of grand architecture. The box is open, revealing a light green interior. The exterior paintings feature detailed buildings and trees, with a vintage, ornate style.

Leila’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.

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A vintage map showing a section of a city divided by a river labeled SIPP. The streets are densely packed with grid-like patterns on either side of the river, and various plots are marked throughout the map.

Zimpel Map of New Orleans

One of the most accurate and meticulous maps of antebellum New Orleans is the work of an eccentric 19th-century cartographer.

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Signature Collections

Patent of nobility awarded to Bernardo de Gálvez by Carlos III of Spain, 1783.
Signature Collections

Bernardo de Gálvez Patent of Nobility

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A person stands outdoors, holding a translucent fabric over their head against a textured wall. The shadow casts an intricate pattern on the wall. A potted plant and some grass are visible in the foreground.
Signature Collections

Clarence John Laughlin Archive

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Five children of diverse backgrounds kneel on grass, looking at a glowing star in the night sky. They wear colorful attire representing different cultures. The scene conveys unity and wonder.
Staff Picks

Christmas Card to Tessie, Leona, Ruby, and Gail

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A detailed sketch depicts a historic, multi-story building with ornate iron balconies, a lamppost on the street, and a person standing in the foreground. The artwork captures an architectural essence and street scene ambiance.
Signature Collections

Antoine’s Restaurant Collection

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Allison “Tootie” Montana, big chief of the Yellow Pocahontas wearing an elaborate pink and orange feathered costume with detailed beadwork and intricate patterns stands confidently. The outfit includes a large headdress and symbolic designs across the chest and arms.
Signature Collections

Michael P. Smith Collection

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An elderly man stands in a dimly lit room holding a small blue and white bird in one hand. He is wearing a light-colored shirt and dark pants. Cardboard boxes are stacked in the background.
Signature Collections

William Russell Jazz Collection

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One of a series of images showing the front cover, endpapers, preface, and notation pages from the Ursuline Music Manuscript.
Signature Collections

Ursuline Music Manuscript

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An 18th-century harbor scene with ships docked along the shore. People walk and ride horses near the water. Buildings line the waterfront, and a fenced garden is in the foreground. A cow grazes in the field. The scene is pastoral and bustling.
Signature Collections

Robert R. Livingston’s Louisiana Purchase Letter

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Artist Archives

A vibrant, crowded scene depicting a diverse group of people gathered in a lively setting. The backdrop features arches and draped curtains. The individuals are dressed in various colorful, eclectic styles, with expressions suggesting a festive atmosphere.
Artist Archives

Burning Orchid Nightclub

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A vintage photograph of Kid Ory, taken in 1917. He wears a dark suit and hat and carries a trombone case.
Recent Acquisitions

Edward “Kid” Ory Papers

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A round button with a blue background features a pink triangle and the text I'm straight. But not narrow. printed in black letters.
Recent Acquisitions

Andrée Loisel Collection

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Watercolor painting of a solemn sailor in uniform beside a grave with a cross. The headstone reads, In honor of those who served, and lists several names. The artwork is abstract with muted colors and blurred edges.
Artist Archives

La Famil[l]e de Pajaud

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Allison “Tootie” Montana, big chief of the Yellow Pocahontas wearing an elaborate pink and orange feathered costume with detailed beadwork and intricate patterns stands confidently. The outfit includes a large headdress and symbolic designs across the chest and arms.
Signature Collections

Michael P. Smith Collection

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A black and white photo of a busy outdoor art market. People are gathered along a narrow street lined with paintings displayed on easels and against the walls. Several individuals are looking at the artwork while others walk by or observe the scene.
Artist Archives

Pops Whitesell Photographs

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A vintage sepia-toned photo of two women. The left woman, labeled Stormy, wears a dark strapless dress. The right woman, labeled Torchy, wears a white blouse and dark pants. They pose together affectionately, with their arms around each other.
Recent Acquisitions

Dorothea “Torchy” Wilde Papers

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Black and white portrait of Leigh Harris with short hair, resting their head on their hand. They are looking directly at the camera, wearing a dark top and a hoop earring. The background is split into light and dark sections.
Artist Archives

Leigh “Little Queenie” Harris Collection

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Staff Picks

A vintage military drum featuring an eagle with a U.S. shield, surrounded by stars and decorative elements. The drum has worn red and blue paint, with rope tensioning and wooden rims, showing signs of age and use.
Staff Picks

Jordan Noble Drum

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Vintage advertisement for Dr. G. H. Tichenors Antiseptic Refrigerant, featuring a soldier with an American flag. Lists uses such as for wounds, burns, and cramps. Produced by Dr. G. H. Tichenor Antiseptic Co. in New Orleans, USA.
Staff Picks

Dr. Tichenor’s Bottle Label

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A vintage sheet music cover titled The Mysterious Axmans Jazz (Dont Scare Me Papa). It shows a chaotic scene with musicians playing and a startled woman at a piano. Two inset portraits are at the bottom.
Staff Picks

The Mysterious Axman’s Jazz

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A black and white photo of a busy outdoor art market. People are gathered along a narrow street lined with paintings displayed on easels and against the walls. Several individuals are looking at the artwork while others walk by or observe the scene.
Artist Archives

Pops Whitesell Photographs

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A vintage 78 RPM record with a red label in a brown paper sleeve. The label reads The Fat Man by Fats Domino and Imperial Records is printed at the top in red letters. The sleeve features a decorative design and Hollywood, California address.
Staff Picks

The Fat Man / Detroit City Blues

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A black conductors hat with a glossy visor and metallic band. It features a round badge with RAPID TRANSIT and BIG FOUR on the front, along with the number 1015 on a rectangular plaque below. The background is a neutral gray.
Staff Picks

Streetcar Operator’s Cap

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Five children of diverse backgrounds kneel on grass, looking at a glowing star in the night sky. They wear colorful attire representing different cultures. The scene conveys unity and wonder.
Staff Picks

Christmas Card to Tessie, Leona, Ruby, and Gail

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A sepia-toned, vintage photograph of a small, fluffy dog sitting on a patterned surface. The dog has light-colored fur and appears relaxed, with one ear slightly perked up. The background is blurred, creating an antique effect.
Staff Picks

Mementos of Mat, Eliza Jane Nicholson’s Dog

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Rare Books & Periodicals

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Recent Acquisitions

Bob Kaufman Broadside Poems

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A historical sanitary map of New Orleans, illustrating streets and areas with detailed notes. The map highlights the Mississippi Rivers meandering path through the city.
Rare Books & Periodicals

Yellow Fever Sanitary Commission Report

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A page from the American Black Directory shows an advertisement for a black-owned clothing store.
Rare Books & Periodicals

American Black Directory

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A detailed, artistic map titled French Quarter, Vieux Carré. Central circular calendar surrounded by historical illustrations of buildings, street scenes, and events in the French Quarter, framed with decorative borders and figures.
Staff Picks

The How, When, and Where of Discriminating and Enjoyable Drinking

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A vintage illustration of a woman in a long dress sitting on a rustic bench in a garden. She holds a patterned shawl and gazes upwards. The scene is surrounded by lush foliage and a woven fence, creating a peaceful, nostalgic atmosphere.
Staff Picks

Les lys et les roses

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A historic poster titled INFAMOUS! criticizes the conduct of officers and soldiers in New Orleans. It condemns harassment against local women and mandates respectful behavior. The message is issued by Maj. Gen. Butler.
Rare Books & Periodicals

Benjamin Butler’s Order No. 28

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A photograph of the cover of “The Land We Love” magazine, Vol. 1, No. 5 (1866); Vol. 2, No. 2 (1866), September 1866.
Rare Books & Periodicals

The Land We Love

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The cover of the newspaper "Hospital Banner" from August of 1955.
Rare Books & Periodicals

Hospital Banner Newsletters

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Research & Collections

Online Catalog

Search or browse through HNOC’s vast collections of manuscripts, artifacts, books, artwork, and more in our online catalog.

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A painting of a woman with a red headscarf and bare shoulders against a dark background. She is wearing a white garment and seated with one hand resting on her knee, looking directly at the viewer.

Visit the Williams Research Center

Explore centuries of Gulf South culture with unparalleled access to rare documents, art, and historic treasures. Stop in or browse our online catalog.

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Online Catalog

Research Tools

Through the Williams Research Center (WRC), HNOC offers scholars access to extensive collections related to the Gulf South, particularly New Orleans and Louisiana.

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