Blog
Articles and thoughts by Edward Branley
Books
History and Fiction books by Edward Branley
New Orleans Jazz by Edward Branley
Speaking
Have the NOLA History Guy speak to your group.
Videos
Watch video presentations by the NOLA History Guy
Key to Victory
"Key to Victory" was published in the 7-January-1968 of the Dixie Roto Magazine. "Deep in Dixie" was a regular series in the Dixie Roto, the Sunday magazine insert in the Times-Picayune. It's no surprise that the edition that came out the day before the commemoration...
Cutting Out Lake Borgne
Cutting out Lake Borgne - American defense delayed the British. Cutting out Lake Borgne "British and American Gunboats in Action on Lake Borgne, 14 December 1814." This painting by Thomas L. Hornbrook depicts the "cutting out expedition" of the Royal Navy on five...
Canal Street Retail 1897
Big changes in Canal Street Retail 1897 shook up shopping. Canal Street Retail 1897 When 1897 opened, changes to the landscape of Canal Street retail were already shaping up. The year-end clearance ads published on January 3rd looked as one would expect. The ads in...
Lakefront Airport 1945
A commenter to the ad post on Instagram asked, which airport? Another commenter replied this had to be Lakefront Airport, because MSY didn’t open to commercial aviation until May, 1946. So, New Orleanians hopping a plane to Dallas in 1945 drove out to the lakefront. NEW opened (as Shushan Airport) in 1934. A year later, airlines shifted to Kenner. Lakefront Airport morphed into a general aviation site, with Air National Guard units as well as private aircraft.
Eisenhower Commands – Christmas 1943
New Orleans fully supported the war effort. Manufacturing facilities, Andrew Jackson Higgins’ landing craft, major military hospitals, and shipbuilding kept the city busy. Retailers like the Krauss Corporation did everything they could to promote the sale of war bonds. Good news about air attacks and planning for the Summer of 1944 enabled New Orleans to have a cautious but happy holiday season.
Norfolk Southern 1073 – Penn Central Heritage
Norfolk Southern 1073 on the New Orleans Back Belt. Penn Central livery on Norfolk Southern 1073 NS 1073 heads Eastbound on the "Back Belt" in New Orleans. The EMD SD70ACe loco leads a short consist out to the railroad's yard in Gentilly. Norfolk Southern 1073 crosses...
Lazard’s Canal Street
The Lazard’s in this photo operated as one store on a very-busy Canal Street. The merchants of the Touro Buildings across the street offered their goods. Daniel Henry Holmes and other merchants appealed to locals in the 801 block. S.J. Shwartz completed his new building for Maison Blanche, with S. H. Kress next door. Katz and Besthoff Drugstore and Adler’s Jewelers serviced customers just up from Lazard’s.
Mid-City Magic on Murat
Folks would add the Centanni home as one of their stops to go see Christmas lights in other neighborhoods. The display awed and inspired children throughout the 1950s, including a young man from the Ninth Ward named Al Copeland. Al would credit the Centannis as the inspiration for the huge light display at his Metairie home.
Midnight Blue Anniversary – Amtrak 50
So far, three of the six passed through New Orleans. AMTK 46, in the Phase V livery, a slightly modified version of the go-to scheme. AMTK 161 bears the Phase I livery. This was the first scheme after all the “heritage” equipment was assimilated. Most recently, AMTK 100, Midnight Blue Anniversary.
Southern Crescent 1977
Amtrak took over almost all passenger rail operations in the United States in 1971. Southern Railway chose not to opt-in to Amtrak in 1971. The railroad continued to operate the Southern Crescent until 1978. So, this train is indeed a Southern Railway consist.
Drop Me a Line
Contact the NOLA History Guy at edward at nolahistoryguy.com