French Quarter Closeup: How Slavery Built New Orleans

A historic illustration of a rotunda in New Orleans, depicting an auction scene. People gather around, some on platforms, with various goods like pictures and bales visible. The dome above is intricately detailed with sunlight streaming in.

Sale of Estates, Pictures and Slaves in the Rotunda, New Orleans, 1842, by J. M. Starling (engraver) and William Henry Brooke (artist). HNOC, 1974.25.23.4

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French Quarter Closeup: How Slavery Built New Orleans

Join us for this Shortcut Talk that takes an eye-opening look at how the institution of slavery shaped New Orleans.

Join us for an eye-opening look at how the institution of slavery shaped New Orleans in this Shortcut presented in HNOC’s French Quarter Galleries. Through maps, images, and documents, our interpreters zoom in on a few blocks of the French Quarter to reveal this often-neglected aspect of New Orleans history.

Old Slave Block in St. Louis Hotel, New Orleans, 1906, by Detroit Publishing Co. HNOC, 1974.25.29.131

A Slave-Pen at New Orleans Before the Auction, January 25, 1863, by Harper’s Weekly (publisher). HNOC, L. Kemper and Leila Moore Williams Founders Collection, 1958.43.24

Hear This Talk

Offered daily at 2 p.m., Wednesday–Sunday*
Free and open to the public (no registration required)
Duration: Approximately 20 minutes
Location: French Quarter Galleries, 520 Royal Street

*This talk is offered on a rotating basis with other Shortcut Talks and may not always be available on a given day.
For groups of 10 or more, please contact tours@hnoc.org .

Old Slave Block in St. Louis Hotel, New Orleans, 1906, by Detroit Publishing Co. HNOC, 1974.25.29.131

A Slave-Pen at New Orleans Before the Auction, January 25, 1863, by Harper’s Weekly (publisher). HNOC, L. Kemper and Leila Moore Williams Founders Collection, 1958.43.24