Fit for a King
The Rex Archives at HNOC
Jewels, favors, doubloons, float designs, and more commemorate Rex’s 150th anniversary.
Williams Research Center
410 Chartres Street
Since 1872, revelers on Mardi Gras Day have danced to the tune “If Ever I Cease to Love” and waved to the self-proclaimed “King of Carnival” as the Rex parade wound its way through the city of New Orleans. To mark the 150th anniversary of the founding of the Rex, the Historic New Orleans Collection unveils Fit for a King, an exhibition showcasing jewels, favors, doubloons, float designs, and more from HNOC’s Rex-related holdings, which number in the thousands.
Presented in conjunction with the exhibition Making Mardi Gras at 520 Royal Street, Fit for a King is part of HNOC’s spring exploration of the creativity that Carnival season conjures.
Fit for a King Video Series
Rex Parades throughout Mardi Gras History
Since 1872, the School of Design, commonly known as the krewe of Rex, has hosted the Rex parade and ball on Mardi Gras Day, with rare exceptions for wars, civil unrest, and public health crises.
Made by Hand: The History and Artistry of Rex Floats
Caroline Thomas, float designer for Royal Studios, explains the process of decorating the floats, from design all the way to the exquisite final products.
Related Exhibitions
Making Mardi Gras
Learn how artists and everyday people create the “Greatest Free Show on Earth” every year.
Related Stories
Carnival Couture
Eight Mardi Gras fashion designs inspired by history, pop culture, and even architecture
Looking at the Obscure—and Sometimes Disturbing—Lore from the “Golden Age of Carnival”
Exploring the traditions of the past often reveals the deeper values and influences of the society that created them.
The Breadth of Carnival Artistry in Nine Photographs
Snapshots of Carnival through photographic history, from Mardi Gras Indian big chiefs to ‘Tit Rex
Carnival Canceled? When the Good Times Didn’t Roll
As New Orleans braces for a vastly downsized Carnival because of the pandemic, HNOC looks back at 14 times the city canceled parades and balls—as well as the celebrations that went on despite the shutdown.
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