NOLA History Guy
The BlogCanal Street 1890 #MBMonday
Canal Street 1890, was a transitional period for the city's main street. Canal Street 1890 Lots in transition in this Canal Street, 1890 photograph. The photographer is William S. Howell. He shot it on March 25, 1890, at 3:45 PM. There's lots to break down here, but...
Prof Taverna and the St. Aloysius Band
St. Aloysius Band in 1946 was led by Prof Taverna. St. Aloysius Band Photo of the St. Aloysius High School Band, 1946. The band wears a classic corps-style uniform, with grey tunics, white trousers, and Sam Browne belts. The belt design was for military officers and...
Leon Fellman’s Origin Story #FellmanFriday
The story of Krauss Department Store has its roots in Leon Fellman's origin story. EDITOR'S NOTE: This is the first installment in a series on Leon Fellman, and his business operations in New Orleans. Fellman's story directly ties to both his store, Sears, Roebuck in...
Bywater Streetcar Complications #TrainThursday
Bywater streetcar complications involve the Norfolk Southern Railroad. St. Claude Line Bywater streetcars NOPSI 1005, running on the St. Claude Avenue line, approximately 1935 (Franck Studios photo via HNOC). The car is heading outbound from N. Rampart Street. The...
Trombonist Santo Pecora
"Mr. Tailgate," Trombonist Santo Pecora, was a mainstay in the NOLA Jazz scene. Trombonist Santo Pecora Born Santo Joseph Pecoraro, trombonist Santo Pecora played with a number of bands in the 1920s. He changed his last name because his cousin, also Santo Pecoraro,...
Maison Blanche Postcard 1909
This 1909 Maison Blanche Postcard pre-dates the Kress building. Maison Blanche Postcard Maison Blanche Postcard from the Detroit Publishing Company, 1909. This photo shows a relatively specific point in time for MB and the 901 block of Canal Street. On the right,...
Shushan’s Monuments
Abraham Shushan's monuments marked Lakefront milestones. Shushan's Monuments Two 1930 photos of lakefront monuments. The late 1920s were a time of major improvements to the lakefront. Lake Pontchartrain seawall improved flood protection. So, the Levee Board* erected...
Tiger Band Always Wins
Tiger Band wins the day every LSU football game. Tiger Band Always Wins That's right. No matter what the score after the final whistle, The Golden Band From Tiger Land (GBFTL) is always the big winner. While GBFTL's traditions and are best experienced in Tiger...
NASA T-38s
NASA T-38s enable astronaut pilots to keep their qualifications. NASA T-38s and Artemis! We're approaching liftoff for Artemis I on Tuesday. The Artemis program is NASA's plan to return to the moon. Artemis I launches unmanned, with three mannequins in the...
Veterans Bus Memories
My Veterans Bus memories go back over fifty years. Veterans Bus Memories Old and new photos of buses operating on the Veterans Blvd. line. The line, originally operated by Louisiana Transit Company, now Jefferson Transit (JeT), originally ran from Canal Blvd. and City...
Railroad Enticements
Railroad enticements in 1924 included Asheville, NC and Cincinnati. Railroad enticements A few ads from the Times-Picayune, 13-August-1924. These railroad enticements appealed to New Orleanians wrestling with the dog days of summer. The Louisville and Nashville...
Tulane Carrollton Maison Blanche
Tulane Carrollton Maison Blanche - The first store away from Canal Street. Tulane Carrollton Maison Blanche Two photos of the corner of Tulane and S. Carrollton, one prior to the opening of Maison Blanche Carrollton and the other as the store's life was winding down....
Steam to Mules NO&CRR
Mules NO&CRR transition took place in the 1840s. Continuing the New Orleans & Carrollton Railroad Story I spoke to the Friends of the Cabildo Tour Guides at their monthly meeting this past Monday. They had me in to discuss the origins of the NO&CRR (New...
Theodore Lilienthal ads photos
A sampling of photos from Theodore Lilenthal inspired by an advertisement. Theodore Lilienthal Photos by photographer Theodore Lilienthal. Lilienthal was a general photographer, doing portraits, architectural photos, and general scenes popular among stereo photography...
Origins NO&CRR
The origins NO&CRR date back to the early 1830s. Origins of the NO&CRR I spoke to the Friends of the Cabildo Tour Guides at their monthly meeting this past Monday. They had me in to discuss the origins of the NO&CRR (New Orleans & Carrollton Railroad),...
Tour Guides, Zoom, Streetcars
Thanks to the Friends of the Cabildo Tour Guides for having me in to speak! Tour Guides I had the privilege on Monday to speak to the monthly meeting of the Tour Guides of the Friends of the Cabildo. The FOC offer a number of walking tours, most notably their French...
Pontchartrain Beach 1934
Harry Batt, Jr., promoted Pontchartrain Beach 1934 in the local paper. Pontchartrain Beach 1934 A full-page advertisement in the Times-Picayune, 1-July-1934, offered readers prizes at Pontchartrain Beach 1934. Participating stores included White Bros. jewelers, Cary...
Turner’s Canal Street at Night
Nighttime changed the vibe of Canal Street. The stores closed around 6pm daily. So, nobody ran downtown to pick up something in the evening. Streetcars carried workers and shoppers alike to the residential sections of the city. By dusk, signs on Canal Street enticed riders and drivers with things other than shopping.
Bridge Administration Building, Jefferson #TrainThursday
The Huey P. Long Bridge Administration Building, on the east bank. Bridge Administration Building The State of Louisiana built the Huey P. Long Bridge in 1934-35. They included a Bridge Administration Building in the project. So, they located the building on the East...
Dining, Dancing, Entertainment 1978
New Orleans offered great options for Dining, Dancing, Entertainment in 1978. Dining, Dancing, Entertainment. Summertime in New Orleans in the 1970s offered a wide variety of going-out options, from dining to live music, to a night at Da Beach. Begue's at the Royal...
Heart of Louisiana FOX8
FOX8's "Heart of Louisiana" segment on "Streetcar" featured...me. FOX8 Heart of Louisiana It's the 75th anniversary of the movie, "A Streetcar Named Desire." To mark the milestone, The Historic New Orleans Collection presents a wonderful, well-curated collection of...
D-Day in Da Paper 6-June-1944
D-Day in Da Paper greeted New Orleans on the morning of the invasion. D-Day in Da Paper When New Orleans woke up on June 6, 1944, the Times-Picayune headline reported German accounts that the invasion was underway. Those reports were unconfirmed by Eisenhower's HQ in...
Carrollton Shopping Center 1964
Carrollton Shopping Center took advantage of the Pontchartrain Expressway. Gus Mayer "Keep cool, in sleeveless dresses, deftly shaped..." Summer dresses in dacron-polyester from Gus Mayer. This ad, from the Times-Picayune on 4-June-1964. The store sold these dresses...
Streetcar vs Train 1912
Streetcar vs Train never ends well. Streetcar vs Train Brief news article about a streetcar vs train accident in The Daily Picayune, 11-May-1912. Passenger train No. 339, of the Illinois Central, crashed into the Royal Blue car at Washington Avenue, at 9 o'clock last...
Sheraton Charles Hotel 1973
The Sheraton Charles Hotel was the last incarnation of the venerable hotel. Sheraton Charles Hotel Ad for the Sheraton Charles Hotel, May 7, 1973. The Sheraton chain bought the hotel in 1965. They re-branded the property, "Sheraton-Charles," enticing tourists with its...
Congo Square and the Roots of New Orleans Music
Congo Square establishes the roots of Jazz. Congo Square in Faubourg Treme Before air conditioning's escape into the mall or confinement at home, people gathered together to socialize and try to beat the Summer heat. In Spanish-controlled New Orleans of the late 18th...
Camp Stanislaus 1947
Camp Stanislaus 1947 continues today. Camp Stanislaus 1947 Ad for Camp Stanislaus 1947 in the Times-Picayune, 19-April-1947: SAINT STANISLAUS -- Not merely a school -- BUT A WAY OF LIFE CAMP STANISLAUS BAY ST. LOUIS, MISSISSIPPI Announces its 19th SEASON - FIVE WEEKS...
Canal Streetcar Mornings
Canal streetcar mornings begin around 7am. Canal Streetcar Mornings Early morning outbound and inbound on the Canal Street Line, 2-April-2022. The first streetcar, outbound, is actually the second car out of the barn. The Canal line cars leave the barn at Canal...
Berlin Sleeping Car @berlinsleepcar
Private varnish Berlin Sleeping Car rides to New York via the Amtrak Crescent. Berlin Sleeping Car The Amtrak Crescent 🌙 #20 pulled three private railcars to New York's Penn Station (NYP on 25-February-2022. We talked about the two Patrick Henry railcars in a previous...
Private Rail PHCP Cars
Riding private rail PHCP cars Private Rail PHCP From Carnival time: three "private varnish cars," The private rail PHCP (Patrick Henry Creative Promotions) cars, "Evelyn A. Henry" and "Warren R. Henry" joined the Berlin Sleeping Car on a northbound trip. The three...
Canal Street 1960 #PhotoUnpack
Canal Street 1960 featured Hitchcock at the movies. Canal Street 1960. Unpacking a photo from "N.O.L.A. - New Orleans Long Ago" on Facebook. This color shot features the 1101 to 901 blocks of Canal Street. The photographer (unidentified) stands across the 140' street....
Buggy Ride!
A buggy ride is still a fun part of a visit to New Orleans. Buggy Ride! "Carriage driver. Mardi Gras, New Orleans. February 1976" by Elisa Leonelli, via Claremont College's Special Collections. A dapper buggy driver for Gay 90s Carriages sits at Jackson Square,...
Audubon Place is a state of mind
Audubon Place is a "private" street in Uptown New Orleans, but it's so much more to the city. (cross-posted to YatPundit.) Audubon Place and its residents The area of New Orleans now referred to as the University District stands in between Faubourg Bouligny and the...
Department Store Artwork vs. Photography
Department Store Artwork served as the foundation of newspaper retail advertising for over a century. Department store artwork vs. photography Ads from D. H. Holmes and Maison Blanche Department Stores in the Times-Picayune, 4-March-1976. The Holmes ad presents ladies...
Rex Parade Photo ID
This Rex parade photo ID is a great challenge. Rex Parade Photo ID Photo of a Rex parade circa 1920. Handwritten caption says "Boys School in Rex Parade N.O. La." The photo features a high school band, marching lakebound on Canal Street. They're crossing Canal and...
Rex Dumbo 1960
Rex Dumbo 1960 - the flying elephant appeared in the big parade. Rex Dumbo 1960 "Dumbo, the Flying Elephant" in the 1960 Rex parade, 1-March-1960. This photo, by Howard "Cole" Coleman, offers a great "unpack." It features several Canal Street stores, Maison Blanche,...
Proteus 1922
Proteus 1922 had a rose theme. Proteus 1922 Krewe of Proteus chose "The Romance of the Rose" for their theme in 1922. Thanks to the Louisiana Research Collection, Howard-Tilton Memorial Library, Tulane University, for maintaining the krewe's archives. Those archives...
Mugnier Rex 1907
George Mungnier Rex 1907 - A different angle from Allison's. Mugnier Rex 1907 George Francois Mugnier also caught the Rex Parade in 1907. His photo shows the parade moving lakebound, in the 800 block of Canal Street. A "riding Lieutenant" stands behind a float. A...
1907 Rex Parade #AllisonUnpack
Alexander Allison caught the 1907 Rex Parade from the 500 block of Canal Street. 1907 Rex Parade The parade of Rex, King of Carnival, heading down Canal Street, on 12-February-1907. Photograph by Alexander Allison. The photographer stood on the roof of a building in...
801 Canal Street – Hanan’s and Kreegers
Hanan and Son, later Kreegers, operated at 801 Canal Street. 801 Canal Street Franck Studios photo of the Hanan & Son shoe store, 801 Canal Street. HNOC dates the photo at between 1925 and 1933. The building replaced an earlier structure that was destroyed by fire...
Maison Blanche Origins
The Fellmans and Marks Isaacs contributed to the formation of Maison Blanche Origins. Maison Blanche Origins The "Greatest Store South," Maison Blanche Department Store, opened in 1897. These three ads, from The Daily Picayune on 16-February-1890, present a segment of...
Maison Blanche Advertising 1966
In 1966, newspapers offered Maison Blanche Advertising a solid platform. Maison Blanche Advertising The Sunday edition of the Times-Picayune for February 13, 1966 offered a target-rich environment for the department stores. The store placed numerous full-page ads,...
Unpacking Loew’s State Theater
We're unpacking Loews Theater from 1957. Unpacking Loew's State Theater Photo of the Loew's State Theater, May, 1957. The theater stands on the corner of Canal and S. Rampart Streets. A WDSU radio remote unit sits outside on Canal Street. Barry's Shoe Store and an...
Rex, Edward VIII, and The Woman He Loved
The Woman He Loved joined the Duke of Windsor for Carnival in 1950. Mardi Gras History: Rex, the Duke, and The Woman He Loved The Duke and Duchess of Windsor bow to Rex, at the Rex ball, 21-February-1950. The ducal couple viewed the Rex parade from the stands at the...
Operation Lifesaver Amtrak
Operation Lifesaver Amtrak, a salute to the safety education organization. Operation Lifesaver Amtrak AMTK 203, a GE P-42 Genesis locomotive, painted to mark 50 years of Operation Lifesaver. The organization was originally sponsored by Union Pacific Railroad. OL...
Women’s fashion 1914
A sample of women's fashion 1914 via ads in the paper. Women's fashion 1914 Three snippets from The Daily Picayune, New Orleans, on 4-February-1914. The paper did a daily feature then, "The Picayune's Daily Fashion Hint." This day, the hint was on the Fichu. The...
Catalpa Falls Private Varnish
Catalpa Falls - Private railcar running on the Amtrak Crescent. Catalpa Falls Private railcar Catalpa Falls, bringing up the rear of the Amtrak Crescent #20 (Northbound), 27-January-2022. Catalpa Falls is a 1949-vintage 6-double-bedroom/lounge car, built for the...
Pickwick Hotel 1895
800 Canal Street started as the Pickwick Club, then the Pickwick Hotel The Pickwick Hotel Photo of the Pickwick Hotel, 800 Canal Street at Carondelet Street, from New Orleans the Crescent City, as it Appears in the year 1895. The Pickwick Club build their...
King Fish Beer Parlor Decatur Street
The King Fish Beer Parlor anchored the 1100 block of Decatur Street King Fish Beer Parlor William Russell photo of the King Fish Beer Parlor, 1101 Decatur Street. The photo, courtesy the Hogan Jazz Archive at Tulane University, is undated. Most of Russell's photos...
North Carrollton Streetcars @rtaforward
North Carrollton Streetcars have operated only since 2005. North Carrollton Streetcars NORTA 2012, operating on the "Carrollton Spur" of the Canal Street line, 23-December-2021. One in three (or four, depending on how busy the line is) cars running on Canal spin off...
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