Sepia Saturday 13- Oct - 2012

SEPIA SATURDAY

Do you feel like an afternoon matinee?
Sepia Saturday style?

This was taken in 1935 when The Rainmakers was showing, starring Bert Wheeler and Robert Woolsey (unknowns to me). The Liberty Theater, on Saint Charles Street.  New Orleans, Louisiana.

New Orleans is where my story begins.


I'm sailing a bit off this week's theme- but on theme you'll notice, groups, hats, mention of a general, and happily no mustaches.

Are you ready for a trip to New Orleans, Louisiana?

It's a city named after Orleans, a city on the Loire River in Centre, France and is well known for its distinct French Creole architecture.  Also for its cross-cultural and multilingual heritage, and its cuisine, music (jazz) and festivals, most notably the Mardi Gras.

LOUISIANA FOLKS, CURIOSITIES, MAGICAL FABLES and HAUNTED PLACES

"Curiosity is one of the forms of feminine bravery."
Victor Hugo

They say don't judge a book by it's cover-
But what about people?

Mostly, a happy bunch.

Is that a lunch pail the girl on the right is holding?

I'd keep my eye on these ladies.

"Yes, we do adore our life!" You know that's what they're thinking.

If I said these ladies are from very different walks in life- you'd believe me, right?  Are you surprised that one group makes their living at the Lane Cotton Mill in New Orleans, Louisiana and the other group of ladies-
also work in New Orleans, at various factories?


Which group do you think you'd rather work with?

The second photo was taken in March of 1914 and they are all Factory Inspectors, in New Orleans, Louisiana.
Surely, they have run into the ladies (in the first photo)
from the Lane Cotton Mill.


*     *     *     *


They say curiosity killed the cat.  But what about ghosts?
Louisiana, and especially in New Orleans it's known as a lively place for magical fables and ghost stories.  I wonder if there's any truth to those stories?

Let's drive by 1113 Charles Street.
Looks okay to me, but looks can be....

Welcome to-

Beauregard House
Built in 1812- General Pierre Gustave Toutant de Beauregard lived in this house until 1869. He dutifully commanded Southern soldiers at the disastrous Battle of Shiloh, where thousands of Americans lost their lives.

Legend says, a legion of ghosts haunt this house, and it's also known as LeCarpentier House, and sits across the street from the Convent of Ursula in the French Quarter, at 1113 Charles Street.


But of all the haunts I've read about (and have toured years ago) there's one unique man that set out to capture all those haunted houses.  May I introduce-

Arnold Genthe (a photographer 1869-1942)
and quite a character judging by the photo below.

But, he was much more than just a photographer.

 

The photographer is unknown for this photo, but here sits Arnold

with two women friends on the beach -

in Long Beach, New York.

 

 

I couldn't remember ever reading about Arnold Genthe before, but apparently he's well known because when you search through the Library of Congress photos, with just his name you get 17213 hits!

So my story about Genthe will continue in further depth next week- and we'll explore more about New Orleans as well.

I hope you can join me!



"The important thing is not to stop questioning. Curiosity has its own reason for existing."


Curiosity is lying in wait for every secret. - Ralph Waldo Emerson

So this concludes are little vacation (since our dear Alan has sailed away) for some R & R, and let's thank Kat Mortensen for taking up the ever so fun duty of keeping Sepia Saturday afloat while Alan is away!

Thanks, Kat!

If you want to see more Sepia Saturday posts
go here

http://sepiasaturday.blogspot.com/2012/10/sepia-saturday-147-13-october-2012.html