Author: Rebecca Lush

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. Continue reading “St. Louis Cemetery No. 1”

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.  Continue reading “Oak Alley Plantation and Whitney Plantation”

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. Continue reading “New Orleans Pharmacy Museum”

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. Continue reading “National World War II Museum”

Greetings from New Orleans! Today was our first full day in this incredibly vibrant city. We spent most of the day walking around the French Quarter admiring the architecture and stopping for beignets along the way. Also on the agenda was visiting the Cabildo and the Presbytère. On arriving in a new city, I always like to start with a city-specific history museum to gain a greater understanding of where I am. As both the Cabildo and the Presbytère provide this overview, I’ve decided to combine them in one post. They also both belong to the broader Louisiana State Museum group. Continue reading “The Cabildo and The Presbytère”