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The Historic New Orleans Collection
A group of brown pelicans with long beaks and dark plumage gathered closely together, standing on a light surface. The background consists of a warm-toned, textured wall.
Oral History

All Things Both Great and Small

Interviews from the Deepwater Horizon Oil Disaster - MSS 622

The result of HNOC's partnership with agencies involved in wildlife rescue operations following the 2010 Deepwater Horizon oil disaster in the Gulf of Mexico.

Images of oil-covered pelicans and sea turtles during the 2010 Deepwater Horizon oil disaster in the Gulf of Mexico spurred urgent and emotional animal rescue efforts. HNOC partnered with agencies involved in wildlife rescue operations in Louisiana to interview officials and volunteers who planned and carried out these rescue operations. The project not only documents the response but also explores the participants’ connection to nature.

Documenting the Deepwater Horizon Disaster

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Explore the Interviews

All the interviews are available in their entirety through our online catalog. To access full audio and transcripts of the oral histories, click the links beneath the contributor names below, which will take you to each corresponding catalog page. Scroll down to the View Online field to find links to audio and transcript files.

Contributors

Robert Barham

Jean A. Beaston

Harry Blanchet

Jack Bohannan

Joey Broussard

Marianne Burke

Michael Carloss

Joel Courtney

Pon Dixson

Carol Foil

James LaCour

Eric Liffmann

Ken Litzenberger

Jeff Mayne

Randy Pausina

Renee Poirrier

Bart Siegel

Mandy Tumlin

Drew Wirwa

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Research

Oral History

Related Exhibitions

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Related Stories

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First Draft

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

First Draft

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

Related Collection Highlights

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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.

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.

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.

Related Virtual Exhibitions

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Virtual exhibitions

Enigmatic Stream: Industrial Landscapes of the Lower Mississippi River

Related Books

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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 a book titled Perique featuring a black and white photograph of elderly hands, one holding tobacco leaves while the other sprinkles shredded tobacco. The book is by Charles Martin, part of The Historic New Orleans Collection.

Perique: Photographs by Charles Martin

with essays by Mary Ann Sternberg and John H. Lawrence

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