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Sewers & Sidewalks: The Pumps That Sank New Orleans 

Contour map of New Orleans from 1895
Contour map of New Orleans, 1895. HNOC, gift of Vivian Blackwell, 2009.0162.10

Join us for this Shortcut Talk exploring how innovations that helped the city grow now pose a threat to its residents.

Discover the technologies that helped build—and sink—New Orleans in this Shortcut presented in HNOC’s A Vanishing Bounty exhibition. Discover why early 20th-century infrastructure “improvements” now pose a threat to the city’s roads, businesses, and residents.

A man stands in a small rowboat on a flooded street between two houses, holding a pole. The area is submerged under water, and it appears to be raining, creating a somber and challenging scene.
Flooded street, April 7, 1983, photograph by Kurt Mutchler. HNOC © Kurt F. Mutchler, 1985.147.2
Vintage illustration showcasing a drainage system, including canals under construction, suction pipes, and workers. Four images depict various stages of the process, highlighting infrastructure development and labor activities.
Illustration from Collier’s Weekly showing new pumping and sewerage systems in New Orleans, September 7, 1901. HNOC, 1989.91.20 i-v

Hear This Talk

Offered daily at 2 p.m., Wednesday through Sunday*
Free and open to the public (no registration required)
Duration: Approximately 20 minutes
Location: A Vanishing Bounty exhibition, 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.

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Shortcut Talks

Enjoy free, daily talks that explore Gulf South history and culture through the lens of our exhibitions.

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A group of people listens to a man speaking in a room. The man is gesturing with his hands, standing next to a large touchscreen table. The room has a warm ambiance with a brick wall in the background.
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Tours & Daily Programs

Get more out of your museum visit with a guided tour, Shortcut Talk, or daily program.

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A guide gestures towards a historical photograph on the wall while speaking to a man and a woman in a gallery setting. The wall has an exhibit description titled A Most Dreadful Visitation: Frederick Douglass and The 1887 Riot.

More on Urban Planning

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First Draft

Why Would a Museum Want a 140-Year-Old Pipe Found Beneath Bourbon Street?

Beneath opaque streams clouded by last night’s mistakes, there are stories waiting to be told.

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First Draft

The Pumps That Built (and Sank) the City of New Orleans

A new pumping system built in the early 20th century helped make the city what it is today—but at a mighty cost.

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Related Collection Highlights

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A rustic, cylindrical wooden stump with a metal band around it, featuring a rough, jagged piece of iron protruding from the top, displayed against a plain white background.

Cypress Water Pipe

What a piece of antiquated infrastructure tells us about New Orleans’s growth and development in the 19th century

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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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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.

Streetcar Operator’s Cap

A cap from the Marie Finhold Streetcar Collection anchors an in-gallery display of streetcar memorabilia and artifacts.

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Related Books

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A historic photograph of a New Orleans street scene from 1858-1861. People stand along the sidewalk beside trees and buildings. The image is part of A Closer Look: The Antebellum Photographs of Jay Dearborn Edwards collection.

Related News

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Headshot for urban planner David Dixon
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Biz New Orleans: Morrison Lecture Explores 20 Years of Post-Katrina Planning

August 14, 2025
Copresented with Vieux Carre Property Owners, Residents, and Associates and the Vieux Carre Commission Foundation, the event will feature renowned urban planner David Dixon joined by a panel of local experts.
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Announcement

HNOC Launches Improved Collins C. Diboll Vieux Carré Digital Survey

August 18, 2025
The popular resource for researchers received its first major overhaul since the survey was fully digitized by HNOC in 2012.
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HNOC curator Lydia Blackmore discusses the history of shotgun houses in a segment on WVUE Fox 8 New Orleans.
HNOC in the News

WVUE: HNOC Curator Explores the History of Shotgun Houses

May 22, 2026
WVUE Fox 8 New Orleans spoke with Lydia Blackmore to discuss the history, features, and legacy of one of New Orleans’s most iconic building styles.
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