NOLA History Guy: Recent Episodes
NOLA History Guy
We’re talking about the Krewe of Proteus, a Lundi Gras tradition.
Mobilius in Mobili photo
Podcast 41 – Krewe of Proteus.Happy Lundi Gras! The Krewe of Proteus first rolled the streets of New Orleans in 1882. While they’re not the oldest Carnival organization, they’re the oldest that still parades. Here’s the video of the history of Proteus:
Heere’s the PDF of the presentation.
The Krewe that came backOf the three krewes that withdrew from parading in 1992 (Comus, Momus, and Proteus), the Krewe of Proteus returned to the streets in 2000. As we discuss in the pod, Proteus had stronger reasons to return to public view. While the other two krewes hold seniority, Proteus held visibility. Momus paraded on the Thursday before Mardi Gras. That spot now belongs to the Knights of Babylon. Babylon traditionally paraded on Wednesday, and moved up in the pecking order. Or did they? After all, Thursday night now belongs to the Krewe of Muses, one of the super-krewes.
Comus paraded on Mardi Gras night. When they began in 1857, the Mystick Krewe were the only parade in town. Over a century, however, other krewes out-shone the oldest organization. By the 1980s, the Comus parade was essentially glorified transportation to their ball. Worn out from a day of marching clubs, Zulu, Rex, and the truck floats, the majority of Uptown carnival-goers gave up before dusk.
The Comus ball, held for decades on one side of the Municipal Auditorium on Mardi Gras, is still the Big Deal in “society” circles. Even Rex defers to Comus by leaving his own ball and closing out the season with Comus. So, the members of the Mystick Krewe didn’t lose much sleep over not returning to parading. That’s ironic, of course, since they eventually did prevail in court over the city.
Proteus, on the other hand, had the most prominent position of the three. Even before “Lundi Gras” was an event in itself, they embraced the anticipation and excitement of the evening, leading into the big day.
The post Podcast 41 – Krewe of Proteus appeared first on Edward Branley - The NOLA History Guy.
New Orleans King Cakes date back centuries, with exciting times ahead.
King Cake from Adrian’s Bakery in Gentilly
New Orleans King CakesFrom Twelfth Night to the start of parades, the public face of Carnival is the King Cake. Let’s run down some of the background on this wonderful tradition. Note that this is background, history. Your preferred modern king cake is up to you!
Here’s the YouTube version of the pod. As we’ve mentioned previously, I record the pod using Zoom. It’s wonderful, because Zoom generates audio and video. I like to think the audio version of the pod is more fun, but what the heck.
Show notesHere’s the PDF of the images, so you can follow along with the audio.
The Clay Monument. On 31-December-1869, the Twelfth Night Revelers invited New Orleans to see them pass by the Clay Monument on January 6, 1870. As mentioned in the pod, we’re going to have to do a full episode on the monument’s history. The reason TNR used this landmark as a gathering point was its size. The original monument dominated the three-way corner of Canal, Royal, and St. Charles Streets. Can you imagine this beast of a monument in the middle of modern Canal Street? Perfect place to tell the city, “come see us.” This is a Theodore Lilienthal photo.
Restaurant Antoine: New Orleans’ oldest restaurant, on St. Louis Street, between Royal and Bourbon. Several of the dining rooms at the restaurant are named after Carnival organizations. This is the Twelfth Night Revelers room.
BakeriesTastee-McKenzie
Adrian’s Bakery in Gentilly
Blue Dot Donuts
Bywater Bakery
King Cake HubKing Cake Hub, located at Zony Mash Brewery, 1464 S. Broad, is a great option for one-stop king cake shopping. You’re looking to have a king cake tasting at the house, or at work? No better way to get a sampling of different styles than here.
CORRECTION: I said North Broad for the location of King Cake Hub at Zony Mash when it should be SOUTH Broad!
The post Podcast 40 – New Orleans King Cakes appeared first on Edward Branley - The NOLA History Guy.
A Carnival Primer for everyone.
Comus Parade, 1858
Podcast 39 – A Carnival PrimerWhen I’m asked to speak to a group that’s come to town for a convention, meeting, etc., they often ask for a talk on a Carnival-related subject. I’ve expanded this into a Carnival Primer that traces the celebration back to its medieval European roots, up to modern times. Now it’s a podcast and “cornerstone” content.
YouTubeAs y’all know, I record the podcasts using Zoom. I’m also going back through talks I’ve given re-recording them via Zoom. That way, y’all can clearly see the images used for that presentation. In the case of this Carnival Primer, the talk is a good bit longer than something I’d do for a live group. They can’t pause and run to get another glass of wine.
Zoom saves both video and audio files upon completion. So, I upload the video to YouTube. Here you go. The audio-only is classic podcast in our traditional format.
The PodWe present a history of Mardi Gras:
- Origins – Carnival’s Medieval Roots and how it came to New Orleans
- Comus – the city’s first “modern” parade.
- Old-Line Parades – Comus, Rex, Momus, Proteus
- Black Mardi Gras – Indians, Zulu, Debutante Balls
- Super Krewes – Bacchus, Endymion, Orpheus, Rex, Zulu
- Yardi Gras – Carnival during the Covid-19 pandemic
- Going Forward – 2023 and beyond!
ImagesSome images from the pod. The full presentation is available as a PDF here.
Medieval Mardi Gras as a float in Proteus
Fat Tuesday, the last day before Lent was a day of celebration and feasting in Medieval Europe. The lord of the castle would elevate eligible Squires to Knighthood. The time of fasting and preparation for Easter began the next day, on Ash Wednesday.
Modern Flambeaux!
Using fire to light the way of the parade!
#RexComus – The Meeting of the Courts
Carnival formally comes to a close when the courts of Rex and Comus meet at the Comus bal masque on Mardi Gras Night.
King Cake from Adrian’s Bakery in Gentilly
The King’s Cake dates back centuries. Here’s a modern incarnation of the confection, from Adrian’s Bakery, located on Paris and Mirabeau Avenues in Gentilly.
Masking Indian
Black Mardi Gras includes “Masking Indian,” a tradition dating back over a century. There are a number of origin stories for the tradition.
The post Podcast 39 – A Carnival Primer appeared first on Edward Branley - The NOLA History Guy.
The block of 3000 Gentilly Blvd holds a fascinating history.
3000 GentillyPhoto of the building at 3028-3030 Gentilly Blvd., taken by Franck Studios on February 13, 1951. The specific photographer is unidentified, since this is a commercial photo rather than part of a legal record. The more recent occupant of the building was Gentilly Supply Center, a hardware and appliances store. The store declared bankruptcy the previous summer. A Latter and Blum “For Rent” sign stands in the front window. To the left is Al Shorey’s Bar, and to the right, what appears to be an Oriental Laundry storefront. Mr. Winston Ho has done extensive research on Chinese laundries, as part of his all-things-NOLA-Chinese work.
PetlandPetland
This building was an Oriental Laundry storefront. By the late 1940s, a pet shop, Petland, took over the location. They didn’t change the “oriental” look of the storefront. Eventually, Petland closed and the building was demolished.
And here’s the podYouTube format.
PDF of the Powerpoint
Gentilly Supply Center
The store was originally the “Gentilly Appliance Company.” The owners renamed it in 1948. The company participated in a lot of “co-op” advertising in the Times-Picayune. These are ads paid mostly by a product manufacturer, and stores selling the product added their address, possibly logo, at the bottom. If you lived in Gentilly and wanted to buy a Hotpoint dishwasher, Gentilly Supply Center was your go-to.
The post Podcast 38 – 3000 Gentilly in the 1950s appeared first on Edward Branley - The NOLA History Guy.
Street railways connected Algiers with Gretna and even Marrero.
Westbank Streetcars
I had the privilege of speaking to the Algiers Historical Society last month, on the subject of street railways on the Westbank. I’d spoken to the group on East Bank subjects in the past, so it was fun to dive into an Algiers topic.
Street Railways pod formatSo, I didn’t record the original talk, I sat down this week with the Powerpoint presentation and did it as a Zoom. Zoom generates both video and audio recordings. I uploaded the video recording to YouTube. Video podcasts have been a thing for a while, so we’ll join that bandwagon.
I’ve also included a PDF of the slides, for those of you who listen to the audio format, along with images from the presentation.
Early YearsPortion of the Robinson Atlas, New Orleans, 1883, showing Algiers Point
Louis Hennick map showing street rail in Algiers, 1895
Sketch of planned Algiers Coruthouse, 1896
Electrification1907 Photo of the first electric streetcar in Algiers
Louis Hennick map of Westbank street railways in 1916
Conversion to buses
The post Podcast 37 – Street Railways of Algiers and Gretna #podcast appeared first on Edward Branley - The NOLA History Guy.
NOLA History Guy Podcast 01-May-2021 discusses Butler’s goals in New Orleans. NOLA History Guy Podcast 01-May-2021 We’re back! Since we’re starting on May 1st, let’s talk about the occupation of New Orleans in 1862. Consider these goals Butler had when he came to New Orleans Pacify the city Butler used 10,000 of his 15,000 troops […]
The post May 1862 – NOLA History Guy Podcast 01-May-2021 appeared first on Edward Branley - The NOLA History Guy.
Mister Bingle 2020 still goes “jingle jangle jingle! Mister Bingle 2020 We’ve done a lot of things on Mr. Bingle, the most visible icon of Christmas in New Orleans, but not a podcast ep! Mister Bingle-2020 looks to change that, as we talk about the little snow elf. Origins The idea of Mister Bingle began […]
The post Mister Bingle 2020 – NOLA History Guy Podcast 20-December-2020 appeared first on Edward Branley - The NOLA History Guy.
NOLA History Guy Podcast 20-June-2020 is part two of our interview with Katy Morlas Shannon NOLA History Guy Podcast 20-June-2020 Just one segment this week, which is part two of our talk with historian and author Katy Morlas Shannon. We had such a good time talking, and I don’t want to edit any of it! […]
The post NOLA History Guy Podcast 20-June-2020 – Katy Morlas Shannon Part 2 appeared first on Edward Branley - The NOLA History Guy.
NOLA History Guy Podcast 16-May-2020 is part one of our interview with Katy Morlas Shannon NOLA History Guy Podcast 16-May-2020 Two segments on a longer edition of NOLA History Guy Podcast this week. First is our pick of the week from Today in New Orleans History. Additionally, part one of our interview with Katy Morlas […]
The post NOLA History Guy Podcast 16-May-2020 – Katy Shannon Part I appeared first on Edward Branley - The NOLA History Guy.
NOLA History Guy Podcast 05-April-2020 presents the first of a four-part series on the Riverfront Streetcar line.
Rollboard sign on NORwy≪ 208, showing it running on the Tchoupitoulas line, 1925
NOLA History Guy Podcast 05-April-2020 Two segments on NOLA History Guy Podcast 05-April-2020, our pick of the week from NewOrleansPast.com, and the start of a series on the Riverfront Streetcar line.
Today in New Orleans History Ad in the Times Picayune, 28-March-1924
Our Pick of the week from the Facebook group, Today in New Orleans History, is Campanella’s entry for April 2nd. Daniel Henry Holmes opened his store on 2-April-1842. The first store was not the Canal Street location. He opened up at 22 Chartres, in the French Quarter. The store did well, and Holmes moved to the 800 block of Canal Street in 1849. D. H. Holmes is an icon, from “meet me under the clock” to the selection of merchandise, to the suburban stores.
There’s nothing more New Orleans than a discussion on social media about which store your momma liked better, Holmeses or Maison Blanche! We thought about adding a discussion or quote section in NOLA History Guy Podcast 05-April-2020, but it can get ugly.
The 2-April entry at New Orleans Past shows two ads from the Times-Picayune. The first is from 28-March-1924. It includes a pictorial history of D. H. Holmes around the border. Very nice!
Da Clock! Ad in the Times-Picayune, 2-April-1938
The second ad is from 2-April-1938. To celebrate the store’s birthday, D. H. Holmes ordered a 400-pound birthday cake, featuring, naturally, the clock!
Riverfront Streetcar History NORwy≪ 208, Ford, Bacon & Davis car, on the Tchoupitoulas line in 1925 (Franck Studios/HNOC)
We present a four-part series on the Riverfront Streetcar Line. The line rolled for the first time in 1899. The series:
I. Background – streetcars running along the New Orleans Riverfront II. The Riverfront line, 1988-1997 III. The updated line, 1997-present IV. NORTA 461 – History of a Riverfront streetcar Today: Part I – background leading up to 1988
Johnson Bobtail streetcar passing the French Market, ca 1880
Prior to the Riverfront line, streetcars didn’t operate close to the riverfront. That’s because the wharves and railroad tracks occupied the space. The closest streetcars were on the streets servicing the Riverfront, like Tchoupitoulas, Laurel, and Annunciation Streets uptown, and N. Front and Decatur Streets to the French Market on the downtown side.
The post NOLA History Guy Podcast 05-April-2020 D. H. Holmes, Streetcars appeared first on Edward Branley - The NOLA History Guy.
Transit maintenance on Canal Street is our photo breakdown this week Transit Maintenance This is a wonderful photo, just to enjoy. It offers a lot to break down as well. The scene is 1901 or 1902, Canal Street, right by the rear of the Liberty Monument. Prior to electrification, streetcars running on the Canal Street […]
The post Transit Maintenance – NOLA History Guy Podcast 2020-03-22 appeared first on Edward Branley - The NOLA History Guy.
Southern Rebellion Irish – talking about the Irish socially in Antebellum New Orleans Southern Rebellion Irish While a number of Irish families in New Orleans rose to the upper levels of society by the Southern Rebellion, those in the city who wanted to maintain an economy based on enslaved African labor did not accept newer […]
The post Southern Rebellion Irish – NOLA History Guy Podcast appeared first on Edward Branley - The NOLA History Guy.
Royal Street Photo Breakdown on this week’s podcast! Royal Street Photo Breakdown Derby Gisclair shared a neat photo from 1916 earlier this week on social media. The photographer stands in the middle of the 100 block of Royal Street, looking down into the 200 block. As I was looking through some other photos, I came […]
The post Royal Street Photo Breakdown – NOLA History Guy Podcast appeared first on Edward Branley - The NOLA History Guy.
Department stores and train stations on Basin Street on NOLA History Guy Podcast 27-July-2019 NOLA History Guy Podcast 27-July-2019 Two segments on NOLA History Guy Podcast 27-July-2019. First, our “Today In New Orleans History” for 20-July, and then we’ll unpack a photo from 1955. Both focus on Canal and Basin Streets. NewOrleansPast.com This week’s pick […]
The post NOLA History Guy Podcast 27-July-2019 Krauss and Trains appeared first on Edward Branley - The NOLA History Guy.
This week’s pic for “Today in New Orleans” on NOLA History Guy Podcast 29-June-2019 NOLA History Guy Podcast 29-June-2019 A Lakeview flashback for the NewOrleansPast.com pick this week, along with a photo unpack for NOLA History Guy Podcast 29-June-2019. Also, a brief farewell to the Times-Picayune. Lenfant’s John L. Lenfant began his career as a […]
The post NOLA History Guy Podcast 29-June-2019 – Lenfant’s plus photo unpack appeared first on Edward Branley - The NOLA History Guy.
Two short segments on NOLA History Guy Podcast 22-June-2019 NOLA History Guy Podcast 22-June-2019 We’re back after a week off, while we celebrated LT Firstborn’s master’s degree! The submariner earned a master’s in Military History from the US Army Command and General Staff College at Ft. Leavenworth, Kansas. He spent the year as a student […]
The post NOLA History Guy Podcast 22-June-2019 – WWI, Voudou appeared first on Edward Branley - The NOLA History Guy.