Stories tagged "Gender and Sexuality": 47
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Singer Sewing Center
In 1930, Signer Sewing Company hired local architects Charles Favrot and Louis A. Livaudais to erect a Neoclassical style storefront at 934 Canal Street to house a flagship Singer Sewing Center. [1,…
A Movement Without Marches: Black Women in Public Housing
Starting in the 1920s and increasing exponentially in the 1930s, and onwards, the urban landscape of New Orleans, like many urban municipalities across the country, began to change as a result of a…
The Morales-Arlington Tomb: A Fiery Legacy
The Morales-Arlington’s tomb once held one of New Orleans most notorious madams, Josie Arlington, from the city’s equally notorious red light district, Storyville. Arlington's reputation and the tomb…
Joan of Arc Statue: Joanie on the Pony: Home at Last
Each year on January 6th, the Krewe de Jeanne d’Arc honors St. Joan and the French heritage of New Orleans with a celebration.
"As the first day of the carnival season, that date suggests…
Les Pierres
“Always the dance floor. Always the music.” And “always a lot of sexual energy.”
Marie Baron and Les Forcats
Paper Monument #023: Marie Baron was among thousands of forçats, or French criminals sent to Louisiana in the early 1700s as forced laborers. Marie’s life illustrates the harsh conditions of French…
Dorothée Lassize's Family Business
Harriet Martineau, Saxe Weimar, and numerous other antebellum writers described New Orleans free women of color as promiscuous, seductive characters who sought partnerships with wealthy white men so…
Romance or Power Imbalance? The Hazeur Family
A wealthy man, Louis Hazeur De Lorme (ca. 1760-1828) was a highly respected man in his community. He shared a large indigo plantation with his brothers-in-law, Francois and Louis Xavier three and half…
Storyville District
A legalized prostitution district associated with the early development of New Orleans-style jazz existed from 1897-1917. Romanticized by early historians as the birth-place of jazz, this red-light…
The Rising Sun Hotel
Many visitors to New Orleans are familiar with the song “The House of the Rising Sun,” made popular by the English band The Animals in 1967. The song itself has roots far back in English folk…
Young Men’s Hebrew Association's Athenaeum
“One of the handsomest structures in the city will be the new building of the Young Men’s Hebrew Association,” [1] said an article from the New Orleans States when the Athenaeum opened in 1896. With…
Le Petit Salon
Le Petit Salon was once the most exclusive and prestigious private women’s organization in New Orleans. Founded in 1924 and described as a “circle of distinguished ladies,” the Salon quickly became an…
The People of Gallatin Street
Gallatin Street’s close proximity to the port made it a quick and frequent stop for those who docked, worked, or lived near the booming economic area. Close to half a million immigrants came through…
The Julia Montgomery Memorial Oak in Palmer Park
In March 1923, an oak tree was planted in Palmer Park to honor the death of Julia Blocker Montgomery, a nearby resident. The Daughters of the American Revolution dedicated the tree in memory of…
Carville, The National Leprosarium: Patient Life
In 1940, the patient population was between 400 and 450 and a massive renovation was underway. The improved hospital created individual rooms for 450 patients and the 13” thick concrete walls made the…
Gwen Bristow: Best Selling Author 1903-1980
Gwen Bristow, though not originally from New Orleans, was a great contributor to both Southern literature and the Times-Picayune newspaper. She helped mold the face of Southern writing into what it is…
Emma Barrett: Jazz Pianist and Vocalist 1897-1983
Emma Barrett, a self-taught jazz pianist and vocalist, was born on March 25, 1897, and began performing in venues across New Orleans at just twelve years old. [1] Despite being unable to read music,…
Upstairs Lounge Fire, 1973: News Coverage
National press coverage of the Upstairs Lounge fire was rather light and short-lived considering the scale of the crime. Coverage in New Orleans was insensitive and callous; newspaper reporters…
Upstairs Lounge Fire, 1973: In Memoriam
The Upstairs Lounge had served as the home of a religious denomination, the Metropolitan Community Church; however, no church would allow a prayer service for those who died, except for the pastor of…
Upstairs Lounge Arson, 1973: Aftermath
Thirty-two people died in the Upstairs Lounge Fire, making it the deadliest fire in the history of New Orleans. In the fire’s aftermath, many New Orleans residents revealed prejudice against LGBT…
Upstairs Lounge Fire, 1973: 32 Deaths
June 24, 1973 seemed like any other night at the Upstairs Lounge. The Metropolitan Community Church had just finished a worship service and was hosting a social event with free beer and food for about…
Upstairs Lounge: Gay Culture & the Metropolitan Community Church
In the early 1970s, LGBT culture in New Orleans remained hidden from the public eye. Instead of openly expressing sexuality and engaging in public displays of affection, most LGBT people were “in the…
WWII Conductorettes and Motorettes
During the Second World War, a labor shortage developed as men began to serve in the armed forces. Women were increasingly encouraged to take over responsibilities on the home front. Women took jobs…
Club My-O-My: New Orleans Vintage Drag
Club My-O-My was a female impersonator club that originated and ended in the French Quarter. It flourished after first being kicked out of an informal, after-hours home in a fur warehouse in the Vieux…