First Draft - Local Life

July 29, 2019
By Heather M. Szafran, reference associate

In the summer of 1914, a Swedish sailor in New Orleans died, and an autopsy revealed the cause to be the bubonic plague, long thought to be confined to the other side of the Atlantic.




May 23, 2019
By Lydia Blackmore, decorative arts curator

The puckered fabric has been a staple of summer fashion for generations, but just how did the iconic material come to be?




February 22, 2019
By Kurt Owens, interpretation assistant

A brief history of carnival throws shows the progression of Carnival-related projectiles over the last 150 years.




February 8, 2019
By Eli A. Haddow, marketing associate

While perusing the words of 19th-century visitors to New Orleans, it's striking how many of their concerns are still relevant today—and some could fit right into an online comment thread or bitter social media post.




December 5, 2018
By Lissa Capo

Generations of New Orleans children still remember how the holidays were ushered in with a familiar tune: “Jingle, Jangle, Jingle / Here Comes Mr. Bingle / With Another Message From Kris Kringle.”




October 30, 2018
By Sarah Duggan, DAGS coordinator and research curator

Making a keepsake out nof a loved one's hair may seem unusual now, but in the 19th century there was a trend to weave human hair into little memorials to the deceased.




October 15, 2018
By Dylan Jordan, interpretation assistant

New Orleans has its fair share of myths and ghost stories, but the truth is always stranger than fiction. These four local legends show you why.




October 8, 2018
By John Magill, former senior curator

The 18th Amendment outlawed the sale and manufacture of alcohol in the United States. New Orleans proved itself loathe to give up old habits.






 

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