Curate Your Own Adventure

I’ve been back in Australia for a few days now in self-quarantine. This has provided an opportunity to write a couple of extra blog posts on New Orleans. First on the list is St. Louis Cemetery No. 1 located just on the outskirts of the French Quarter. It is the oldest cemetery that still exists in New Orleans and was inscribed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1975. The majority of information included in this post has been sourced from the nomination form for the Register that can be accessed by clicking here. It is definitely worth going through the document as you will find some amazing photographs of the Cemetery from the 1970s.

This post will be divided into three parts – why such cemeteries exist in New Orleans, the history of St. Louis Cemetery No. 1 and our experience of visiting. I will mention this again, but please keep in mind that if you are wanting to visit this cemetery as a tourist, you need to be with a licensed tour guide. I will provide a link at the end which contains a list of licensed tour guides.

Above Ground Cemeteries

Above ground cemeteries are not unique to New Orleans, however one could argue that it is the ones here that have become most well-known. These types of cemeteries have been built all over the world as a way to overcome challenges with burying the dead. Nicknamed ‘Cities of the Dead’, the grouping of large burial structures provides the illusion that you are walking down streets with houses on either side surrounded by iron fences.

Early settlers in New Orleans found it particularly difficult to bury their dead. In the city the water table is high, meaning digging only a few feet down will result in a grave that fills with water. There are stories of bodies literally popping up all over New Orleans whenever there was heavy rain. Even today, in areas that don’t usually flood, if flooding occurs there might be some pretty unsettling sights. For this reason, the idea of burying the deceased above ground was the only viable option.

Generally, these cemeteries include wall vaults for those who may not be able to afford a family vault, large community vaults and individual family vaults. After a year or two, the internal temperature of the vaults is high enough to cremate an individual. Their remains are pushed to the back of the vault and it can be used again.

St. Louis Cemetery No. 1

St. Louis Cemetery No. 1 opened in 1789 replacing the St. Peter Street Cemetery. The latter cemetery had reached full capacity after two fires and numerous epidemics that would spread through the city every summer. It was also decided that the new cemetery should not be so close to where people lived. St. Louis Cemetery No. 1 was only meant to be a temporary burial site. However, a Spanish royal decree was declared in 1789 allowing the site to become permanent.

The Cemetery was originally exclusively for Catholic burials. Following the Louisiana Purchase in 1803 and the Haitian Revolution between 1791 and 1804, the demographics of the city changed. Protestants from the Northern states and refugees from Haiti arrived in New Orleans mixing Protestantism with Caribbean and West African religious beliefs. The Cemetery expanded to accommodate these groups including a space for Protestant burials and one for the burial of people of colour.

As well as being inscribed on the National Register of Historic Places, St. Louis Cemetery No. 1 was also listed on the African American Heritage Trail in 2008.

According to the significance statement (found in the Register nomination form), one of the primary reasons for acceptance on the Register is the Cemetery’s architecture. The Cemetery has a variety of brick tombs built in the early 19th century as well as elaborate marble tombs built later with accompanying statues. These are representative of local stonecutters’ artistic skills and abilities. Such tombs contain notable figures from New Orleans’ history including the first mayor of the city and, reportedly, Marie Laveau, the Voodoo Queen.

Our Experience

Luckily, I read before visiting that it was necessary to be on a tour with a licensed tour guide (full list of tours here). Judging by how other groups were moving through the Cemetery, each tour roughly covers the same ground, but obviously might not distribute the same information.

We focused mainly on the logistics of the Cemetery (how burial practices worked) then spent some time discussing the history of the Cemetery. In particular, we learnt about what would happen if someone couldn’t afford a vault, the more well-known people buried in the Cemetery and a little about the architecture. We only really touched on the different styles of tombs and some of the architects involved.

One of the highlights on the tour was seeing the potential final resting place of Marie Laveau. I say potential because it isn’t actually 100% confirmed. It is, however, where her family vault is located. One thing our guide did mention was the high level of vandalism that occurs in the Cemetery due to a belief held that if someone marks her tomb with three X’s (XXX) they can have any wish they like. People mistaking other tombs for hers has led to the unnecessary vandalism of some tombs in the Cemetery. I can’t believe it has to be said, but don’t vandalise graves.

Another highlight for me was having the opportunity to learn about burials in New Orleans and how rituals have changed over time. It would have been fine to wander around the Cemetery, but this allowed for a much more informative experience. And, of course, seeing Nicholas Cage’s vault (see the pyramid below) was something pretty bizarre.

I would strongly recommend a tour that spends the majority, if not all, the tour time in the Cemetery. This is because there is so much to see and learn, you wouldn’t want to rush things. Overall, we had about an hour in the Cemetery. I feel a lot was covered, but there was an opportunity to discover more.

Visiting St. Louis Cemetery No. 1 is definitely something I’d recommend. It is an amazing cultural experience and a great opportunity to learn more about death rituals and practices, particularly in New Orleans.

My original plan was to write a blog post comparing and contrasting our visits to Oak Alley Plantation and Whitney Plantation. However, after some reflection, I don’t think that’s going to be possible. Why? Because each offers its own story, its own interpretation, and its own perspective of the past. They are too different to compare and the contrast should be obvious once you’ve finished reading this post. If you are planning on visiting plantations while in New Orleans, I highly recommend you try and visit more than one. Most tour companies we researched offer tours that take visitors to two plantations in one day. They are uncomfortable, but they each add a chapter to the broader story that cannot be forgotten. In saying that, I do highly recommend visiting the Whitney Plantation – you will read why soon. 

Instead of comparing/contrasting, I’m going to run through how we spent our time at the different plantations and what’s on offer. If you wanted to drive and not take a tour, you could have a pretty much identical experience to what I’ll write below.

Oak Alley Plantation

If you have ever seen any promotional material for plantations or an iconic image of a plantation, you were probably looking at Oak Alley. When you first drive past, all you can see is an alleyway lined with 300-year old oak trees leading to a small mansion. Oak Alley was originally the Bon Séjour plantation owned by Valcour Aime. In 1836, he exchanged this property for another with his brother-in-law Jacques Télesphore Roman. Under Roman, the mansion was built by enslaved people. It was lived in by various families until 1972 when it opened to the public. Both Oak Alley and Whitney were sugar cane plantations.

There were 220 enslaved people who worked at the plantation during its years of operation. Beneath is a photograph showing just a handful of names that have been discovered in the records and inscribed on one of the walls in the reconstructed cabins (more on that later). In the same cabin there is further information on one of these enslaved people, Antoine. Antoine was an expert gardener and grafted the tree that would become the ‘paper shell’ pecan, aka the pecan we eat today.

Our Visit

After arriving at the plantation we were handed a ticket to tour the ‘big house’ – the name given to the plantation homes. We went straight to the house for a 30 minute tour of the inside. The tour goes into the history of the family, their ownership of enslaved people, and touches on some architecture. The history of slavery is not brushed aside, but it is also not the focus. A highlight during the tour is the artifacts room containing original documents, photographs and objects. In the middle of the room is a display case containing a brass wedding invitation from the family opposite a pair of cast iron shackles. This juxtaposition between the family and the enslaved people is powerful. When the tour finished, we walked through the alley of oaks and toured the two gardens either side of the house.

After a short break, we visited the slavery exhibition which is on display in the reconstructed (not original) cabins. It is a self-guided tour through six cabins with some thematic panels and objects located outside and in between. The content focuses on a range of themes including ‘the expectations of house slaves’, ‘caring for the sick’, ‘field slaves’, and archaeological evidence (everything in inverted commas is the language used by the plantation). The rooms contain furniture that would have been similar to what was available. For example, you can see in the photograph of the Sick House that as well as furniture there are some medical bottles on display.

The panels only delve so far into slavery and feel quite detached. It is also important to note that this exhibition is entirely optional. You could feasibly have someone visit the plantation, not see the exhibition, and therefore not learn about this history. We spent a couple of hours walking through the cabins then listened to a brief talk about slavery on the plantation.

We ran out of time to visit the other sites including the Blacksmith shop and the Civil War Tent. They recommend at least 2 hours for your visit and I would say definitely allow this, if not more.

Whitney Plantation

The Whitney Plantation operated until 1867 and opened as a heritage place and Museum in 2014. It is the only plantation in Louisiana that exclusively focuses on the experience of enslaved people.

As soon as we got off the bus we went straight to the visitor centre to join a tour. The only way to see the plantation is by going on a guided tour that lasts around 1 hour and 45 minutes. The tour begins by walking visitors through three separate memorials. The first is The Wall of Honour, a memorial dedicated to all enslaved people on the Whitney Plantation. It contains the names, origins, age and skills (where known) inscribed on large granite slabs. Next is the Allées Gwendolyn Midlo Hall Memorial dedicated to the 107, 000 enslaved people in Louisiana. It is named after the creator of the Louisiana Slave Database, Gwendolyn Midlo Hall, who researched and recorded the names of enslaved people. This memorial not only includes names, but quotes focusing on experiences, hardships faced, and resilience. The final memorial, The Field of Angels, is the most harrowing. It is dedicated to the 2, 200 enslaved children who died in the St John the Baptist Parish between the 1820s and 1860s. The statue is of an angel carrying a child to heaven.

We were then guided through the cabins. During this portion of the tour we learnt about how sugar cane was harvested, the major risks involved, punishments for enslaved people who tried to escape and their living conditions. Work days often lasted 20 hours in busy periods and 16 hours when things were quiet. Each enslaved person working would receive rations. Any dependents, including children, did not receive these rations. This means their food would need to be supplemented with crops that were often grown outside the cabins. I will include a photograph of some of the original cabins below. Each cabin held two families. The second photograph contains two statues made by artist Woodrow Nash as part of the ‘children of Whitney’ sculptural series.

Right at the end of the tour we saw the ‘big house’. There is some information on the family available including the fact they never really lived in the house. After a brief walk through one room, we went to the back of the house to learn about what happened after emancipation. Essentially, those who were enslaved could be arrested on the street for loitering and sent back to plantations to work for minimum wage.

Final Thoughts & Practical Information

As you can see, each plantation offers a very different experience. I said at the beginning that a visit to the Whitney Plantation is a very wise idea because of its focus on the experience of those enslaved. If you are wanting a truly educational experience rather than a tourist location, it cannot be missed.

We visited both plantations on separate day tours. You can combine them in one tour offered through companies such as Cajun Encounters and Grayline. If you are going to drive there yourself, both have entrance fees and tickets can be purchased from their visitor centres. There are a lot of gravel paths to navigate at Whitney which may be difficult for wheelchairs. Not all historic structures are accessible. Oak Alley is accessible apart from the second floor of the ‘big house’. There are iPads available in the first floor media room that tour the second level of the home for those unable to take the stairs. Both plantations have very comprehensive websites that are worth reading through before your visit.

If you are ever visiting New Orleans and have time to explore a museum in the French Quarter, I strongly recommend visiting the New Orleans Pharmacy Museum. Not only is it a museum, but also a heritage place – inscribed on the National Register of Historic Places. The building was originally the home of Louis J. Dufilho Jr., America’s first licensed pharmacist. Prior to 1804, to become a pharmacist involved a six month apprenticeship. You were then free to sell any of your own concoctions or medicines without any regulations enforced. In 1804, a board of reputable pharmacists was formed that administered a three-hour oral examination. Louis J. Dufilho Jr. was the first to pass this examination thereby allowing his pharmacy to be the first in America run on proven adequacy.

The Museum consists of two floors, both of which have some small exhibitions and an array of bottles, containers and equipment. I will say now that, to the best of my knowledge, the second floor of the Museum is not accessible. The first floor looks as if the pharmacy is still in operation with historical bottles lining the walls and glass display cases displaying a diversity of objects. Upstairs, there are a few exhibitions and some information on feeling unwell in the 19th Century.

I will include a couple of photographs below so you can see just how many objects are on display in such a small space. I really want to focus on a few highlight objects (that I must admit were fun narrowing down). Although I could make some comments about the layout of the exhibitions, it is more a museum filled with curiosities, perfect for exploring on your own. There are, of course, thematic labels placed amongst the objects that help with establishing context. These labels are a little outdated looking, but do suit the overall aesthetics. The information that will accompany each highlight object has been sourced from these labels.

1. Love Potions

To no surprise, I have visited quite a few medical museums that contain similar objects to those on display here. For this reason, my favourite objects on display were the love potions as they are something a little different. Voodoo powders and potions were commonplace in pharmacies during the 19th Century. Those who were looking for love could order a love potion from the pharmacy by number, not by name, to avoid embarrassment. This numbering system inspired the song ‘Love Potion Number Nine’. The contents were not usually ingested. Rather, they were sewn into the lining of a jacket or distributed around the home.

2. Epidemic Illness Treatments

New Orleans is a hot and humid city which means a lot of mosquitoes. In the past, this led to outbreaks of Yellow Fever as well as Malaria. Add Cholera to this list and you have a city in summer that was truly deadly. To give you an idea of just how deadly, approximately 5-10% of residents died each summer due to infectious diseases. In 1842, a charitable volunteer organisation was formed that provided home care for those during epidemics. Louis Dufilho Jr. was the official pharmacist in charge. For those who contracted Malaria, quinine was available that could actually cure a patient. Without access to this drug, patients were exposed to bleeding, purging and arsenic. The bottles photographed below all contain medicines that were administered during the 19th Century in an attempt to cure diseases that were classified as epidemics.

3. Prohibition Bottles

During Prohibition, alcohol could still be prescribed for medicinal use. All bottles made for pharmacy use during this period were marked with the label ‘Federal Law Forbids Sale or Reuse of this Bottle’. This was to discourage people re-using the bottles and selling their own homemade alcohol.

4. Calendula

This bottle and object label is one of many in a cabinet that explores certain herbs and their medicinal properties. Calendula stood out to me as it is something I use on my skin to reduce inflammation. As you can see, the label for each bottle has both a mythical and medicinal history included. It is interesting to see the evolution of the herb and its use.

5. Veterinary Tonics

I have to include the veterinary tonics on this list. I don’t think I’ve ever seen these before in a medical history museum! My favourite is the worm powders for dogs and the ‘quick cure’ which you can imagine might not have done what it promised.

6. Weight Loss Supplements

It was mildly horrifying seeing the ingredients in some of these medications and reading what they promise to achieve. For example, the pills at the front promise to stimulate the kidneys to assist with weight loss. It made me stop and reflect on what dangerous methods we implement today in order to try and lose weight.

7. Children’s Treatments

Thankfully there is a bottle that states no opium can be found in this treatment. If you are noticing that quite a few bottles don’t include ingredients on their label, they didn’t have to legally tell you what was in the medication until the early 20th Century.

8. Kola Nut

Right next to the soda fountain is a bottle of Kola Nut. This contains the dried fruit of the Cola nitida tree that is grown in tropical climates. It was first introduced to Coca-Cola in 1886.

9. Scarifier

This is about as terrifying as it sounds. This spring-loaded device contains numerous blades that would cut through the skin allowing for bloodletting. Some diseases were believed to occur due to an excess of blood in the body. Releasing the blood was thought to release the disease.

10. Perfumes

These small containers once held perfumes that were made from Neroli, lavender and violet. Jasmine was also used by those who worked in the red light district of New Orleans.

11. Miniature Injection Travel Case

This small travel case could be taken with a patient wherever they went and be used for quick drug administration. Next to the case is a packet of tablets that promised to assist the vaccination in working quickly.

12. Ointment Jars

Last, but not least, these ointment jars were used for storing all sorts of ointments in the 19th Century. Ointments are anything that can be applied to the skin and were made using paraffin, lard and petrolatum.  The little jars are mostly made from porcelain so  would be very delicate.

Practical Information

The New Orleans Pharmacy Museum is open Tuesday to Saturday from 10am to 4pm. It is definitely worth checking their events calendar to make sure there are no large bookings that might result in the Museum being closed. Entrance is $5 for adults, $4 for students and seniors and free for children under 6. As I mentioned before, the second story of the house is not accessible. If you are looking for a step back into a medical past while in the French Quarter then look no further.

No surprises here – the National World War II Museum covers American soldiers and the American homefront during World War II. The Museum is so large it is called a Museum Campus with 6 separate buildings addressing themes such as the the European and Pacific theatres of War and the homefront. There is literally so much to see and so many thematic panels I think it would be impossible to soak it all in during just one visit. We didn’t want to delve too deep into the content so focused more on the different exhibition layouts, i.e. how the information was presented.

We started our visit with the 4D film experience ‘Beyond All Boundaries’ narrated by Tom Hanks. This was followed by a walk through the US Freedom Pavilion: The Boeing Center and Campaigns of Courage: European and Pacific Theaters. In total, we only spent about 2 hours in the Museum before deciding that was our limit. This post will provide a brief summary of the three experiences/exhibitions listed above.

Beyond All Boundaries

This 4D film experience engages almost all the senses. It tells the story of America’s involvement in World War II including the major battles fought and how the War changed the fabric of American culture/society. Along with archival photographs and video, there are readings of firsthand accounts. Events such as D-Day, the defense of Rome and the dropping of the atomic bomb are all covered in order to piece together a bigger picture of the War. The experience lasts 45 minutes which verges on a little too long.

I am so glad there are some warnings before entering the theatre. These basically inform visitors about the use of smoke machines and loud noises (including gun fire). I can imagine that this kind of sensory experience might be uncomfortable for a lot of people and I have to admit we did consider leaving half way through. I would recommend adding this experience to your ticket only if you are wanting an overview of the American World War II experience.

US Freedom Pavilion: The Boeing Center

The last building, The Boeing Center, contains all the large World War II aircraft. As you can see in the photographs below, there are ramps going all over the place allowing visitors to get up close to the planes and see all the details. We just stayed on the ground level and admired the planes from below. This is one of the most impressive buildings in the Campus and worth exploring.

Campaigns of Courage: European and Pacific Theaters

These two exhibitions are what I am wanting to focus on from an exhibition design perspective. Also, I will include a quick mention of some highlight objects. We moved through these exhibitions quite quickly as they were very crowded and it was near impossible to read the text. Instead, we observed how the material was being displayed.

As you can see from the photographs below, each space in this exhibition has been designed to visually suit the different battles and themes. For example, the Guadalcanal section was filled with (fake) tropical trees to give the illusion you were walking into the jungle. When addressing the Battle of the Bulge, the exhibition space is filled with snow covered trees with digital snowflakes falling on the walls. Nestled amongst these props are the display cases, so beautifully and smoothly integrated. The major design elements contextualised the objects and information on display in a visually appealing way. This is particularly impressive as there was always going to be a risk that these kind of props wouldn’t suit the content and be too much of a gimmick in the space.

When we did have the opportunity to see some of the objects, what stood out to me was how many letters to loved ones are on display. As I mentioned in the blog post yesterday, providing this human element through personal stories or firsthand accounts is so important when displaying trauma or a disaster. The most harrowing of these paper archives are the numerous Western Union notices sent home to families to inform them of any family member deaths. I found that the letters written home by soldiers are the most insightful objects on display. Mainly because despite all the horror and trauma, you can see their desire to connect with those back home and reassure everyone.

Another highlight object is this cloth bag (photographed below) containing medical implements. These belonged to a newly graduated high school student, Raymond Areaux, who was drafted into the Army in May 1942. As one of his past jobs involved working in a pharmacy, he joined the Army Medical Corps. During the day, members of the Medical Corps were taught how to treat those injured on the front line. This included how to immobilise and set broken bones and how to treat bullet wounds. It is clear that the tools on display have been used.

Other

Before leaving the Campus, we visited The Higgins Hotel & Conference Center. This art-deco inspired hotel is the first in America to be curated by museum professionals and attached to a museum. The hotel lobby contains artifacts, artworks, photography and personal story plaques. We went into the bar area where the chairs are designed to look like parts of ships and the high tables like parts of a production line. I can’t comment on the rooms, but it would be very interesting to see if this strong theme continues through every room or is just isolated to the lobby.

Practical Information

The National World War II Museum is open daily from 9am to 5pm except for Mardi Gras, Thanksgiving, Christmas Eve and Christmas Day. The 4D experience runs from 10am to 4pm with each film starting on the hour. We did not include the USS Tang Submarine Experience, but it runs every 15, 35 and 55 minutes after the hour between 9.35am and 4.35pm. There is great accessibility with a whole section of the website dedicated to the various services available. You can read that by clicking here. There is an entry fee which you can find by clicking here.