Derby Gisclair
@DerbyGisclair
Followers
6,467
Following
795
Media
5,701
Statuses
17,254
New Orleans & Sports Historian. Author, speaker, and columnist.
New Orleans, LA and Destin, FL
Joined February 2019
Don't wanna be here?
Send us removal request.
Explore trending content on Musk Viewer
Mother's Day
• 2110060 Tweets
Ángel
• 213618 Tweets
Travis
• 176973 Tweets
Cataluña
• 88514 Tweets
#GrandConcertENGLOTinNYC
• 72861 Tweets
Racing
• 58304 Tweets
#Amici23
• 55198 Tweets
Pacers
• 44280 Tweets
Vitória
• 38866 Tweets
Hawks
• 35581 Tweets
Trae
• 34175 Tweets
#ConexiónHonduras10
• 30530 Tweets
Brad
• 28592 Tweets
Abel
• 27837 Tweets
Bahia
• 26616 Tweets
Romero
• 25212 Tweets
Rony
• 24034 Tweets
Pistons
• 23197 Tweets
雨の月曜日
• 22253 Tweets
Costas
• 18364 Tweets
Veiga
• 17372 Tweets
Belgrano
• 13754 Tweets
土砂降り
• 13559 Tweets
Medina
• 13266 Tweets
Rory
• 13059 Tweets
Fabra
• 11842 Tweets
Payet
• 10057 Tweets
An aerial of New Orleans and the Mississippi River from a slightly different perspective.
13
143
710
1/ Born on January 14, 1948, New Orleans native Carl Weathers graduated from St. Augustine High School (1966) and San Diego State University (1969) before being signed by the then Oakland Raiders as a linebacker in the 1970 NFL draft.
17
124
643
1/ In 1964, The Beatles were arguably the most famous music group in the world when their concert tour brought them to New Orleans. When reporters asked him what it was like to meet the Beatles he responded, “I didn’t meet them. They met me.” By their own admission, the ...
10
98
543
The structural skeleton of the Louisiana Superdome, designed by famed local architects Curtis & Davis. The facility opened in 1975.
5
76
524
1/ In 1964, The Beatles were arguably the most famous music group in the world when their concert tour brought them to New Orleans. But by their own admission, the highlight of their visit to the city was meeting with Fats Domino.
10
59
482
1/ Ask anyone in New Orleans if there was ever a castle in the city and they will probably quickly point out the castle on the shores of Irish Bayou in New Orleans East. But there was another castle built much earlier. Completed in 1844 by Colonel Joseph Hale Harvey adjacent ...
7
59
415
1/ The Carrollton Shopping Center circa 1952 at the corner of South Carrollton Avenue and Tulane Avenue, taken from the top of Pelican Stadium across the street. There was a Walgreen's Drug Store, a Maison Blanche store, the Mid-City Bowling Center, and ...
12
83
352
1/ From the collections of the New Orleans Public Library, an old menu from Port of Call – just check out the prices: for $4.75 you could get a half-pound dressed cheeseburger with a loaded baked potato! Although the prices have gone up the quality of the food remains ...
17
39
335
1/ A slice of life from November 16, 1935, along Royal Street in New Orleans. The two automobiles catch our eye first – a well-worn but magnificent 1934 Pierce Arrow at left and a 1934 Hudson/Essex Terraplane 8 on the right. The Terraplane was known to be the favorite getaway ...
10
49
287
1/ There is so much to see in this 1906 photograph of Royal Street taken from the first block off of Canal Street. On the far left, on the corner of Iberville Street was Solari's, a specialty grocer (now the location of Mr. B's Bistro). In the middle stretched across ...
3
28
273
1/ Visitors to New Orleans have a difficult time understanding that the French Quarter was established as a residential neighborhood and continues to be so, albeit often overshadowed by the glare of daiquiri shops and t-shirt stores. Take, for example, this photograph from ...
9
31
267
1/ Few people have an impact on all levels of society as culinary master Warren Leruth. The New Orleans native dropped out of LSU in the late 1940s to become an apprentice baker at Solari's -- his mother had been a baker. He also apprenticed at Galatoire's, Diamond Jim ...
11
36
261
1/ On the first day of July 1929 the city of New Orleans nearly came to a standstill when more than 1,000 streetcar workers, mostly motormen and conductors, went on strike. The highly contentious and divisive work stoppage lingered on for four months. This was the primary ...
4
45
259
1/ New Orleans is probably the only city in the world where the sun rises in the west and sets in the east courtesy of the meanderings of the Mississippi River. You may notice that standing water in the streets tends to flow toward the lake and away from the river.
2
17
254
1/ I'm feeling a little nostalgic for an exotic cocktail from the skilled hands of mixologist Nick Castrogiovanni at Nick's Original Big Train Bar on Tulane Avenue. Mr. Nick passed away in 1979 and the bar was torn down after Katrina.
22
23
251
The New Orleans waterfront and the foot of Canal Street looking into the French Quarter from around 1962. What a difference 61 years makes!
10
28
256
A 1972 photograph looking across Canal Street up Bourbon Street. Kreeger's on the left, Imperial Shoes on the right. Back when traffic could move up Bourbon Street unimpeded (by bollards that is).
9
31
249
Another reminder of how "modern" travel has circled the drain. Give me The City of New Orleans, formerly the Panama Limited (New Orleans to Chicago), the Sunset Limited (New Orleans to Los Angeles), or The Crescent (New Orleans to New York) any day.
14
20
244
1/ As the people of New Orleans slowly began moving outside the boundaries of the growing settlement established by Bienville, one of the first major structures was a modest wooden church for the parish established in the Faubourg St. Mary by Bishop Leo deNeckere.
11
17
248
1/ New Orleans has always celebrated its Catholic heritage, beginning the New Year with the Feast of the Epiphany on January 6th – also known as Twelfth Night as it falls twelve days after Christmas. It commemorates the visit of the Three Magi to the infant Jesus, and so it ...
2
56
246
An enlargement of an 1891 stereograph by J.F. Jarvis of a row of Queen Anne cottages in the 600 block of Nashville Avenue in Uptown New Orleans (LoC).
4
25
246
1/ On the first day of July 1929 the city of New Orleans nearly came to a standstill when more than 1,000 streetcar workers, mostly motormen and conductors, went on strike. The highly contentious and divisive work stoppage lingered on for four months. This was the ...
5
47
243
1/ An interesting aerial photograph of the New Orleans skyline in 1957 showing the construction of the new Mississippi River Bridge in the background. Construction on the $50 million steel truss cantilever bridge (about $475 million today) would be complete in 1958 and the ...
3
34
246
1/ Much has been made of the animosity between the French Creoles and the Americans in New Orleans and the massive “dividing line,” otherwise known as Canal Street, between the French Quarter and the American Sector. One of the lingering bits of word salad is the term ...
2
26
242
1/ To borrow a reference from Creedence Clearwater, New Orleans was “born on the bayou.” Most people think that Iberville and Bienville sailed from the Gulf of Mexico up the Mississippi River until they reached the crescent where they landed and decided to establish their new ...
8
43
241
1/ While Huey Long was well-known as a patron of The Sazerac Bar in the Roosevelt Hotel in New Orleans, he was also a huge fan of the Ramos Gin Fizz. So in 1935 when a hotel in New York claimed to have been the originator of the iconic drink, Long brought his ...
3
32
239
A 1943 photograph of the LCVP assembly line at Higgins Industries in New Orleans. It is estimated that they built a boat every 45 minutes, 24-hours a day, seven days a week for three years.
8
42
234
1/ First introduced in the 1930s by the New Orleans company World Bottling Company, Dr. Nut was an almond flavored beverage – in New Orleans we call them “soft drinks,” but never “soda” or “pop” – with an aroma simitar to Amaretto.
8
42
230
1/ At 500 Chartres Street on the corner of St. Louis Street stands the Girod House, built in by the mayor of New Orleans Nicholas Girod just after the Great Fire in 1794. According to legend, the three-story addition to the building he completed in 1814 was offered in 1821 to ...
7
21
231
1/ New Orleans is, of course, unique. Here we make a carnival out of business and a business out of carnival. New Orleans is probably the only place on earth where the sun rises in the west and sets in the east. It is one of the unique characteristics of our city that locals ...
1
25
229
1/ A candid look at the 300-block of Bourbon Street at the corner of Bienville Street, circa 1941 by Marion Post Wolcott (LoC). On the left is a hand-painted sign for a costume shop while other signs are for barrooms, a locksmith, and ...
5
16
228
1/ Once one of the most exclusive and prestigious private women’s organizations, Le Petit Salon was established in 1924 with New Orleans native and noted writer Grace King serving as its first President. The four-story Greek Revival building at 620 St. Peter Street, shown ...
10
17
226
1/ The first convent built in America, the Ursulines arrived in New Orleans in 1727 and were quickly embraced by the citizens of the city for their compassionate care given to the sick and poor. Their convent was begun in 1733 and completed in 1752 and is the oldest building ...
4
19
225
1/ An aerial view of downtown New Orleans from the early 1971 showing One Shell Square still under construction in the upper right. That building would be completed in 1972.
2
19
221
1/ From the archives of the New Orleans Public Library we have this photograph by Alexander Alison of St. Charles Avenue looking toward downtown. The car is just beginning to turn around Lee Circle (left background).
5
24
220
1/ When I post old photographs, I always enjoy a silent chuckle when people express the romantic notion “I wish I could have lived back then” without thinking about what that time period was really like. For instance, they look at an old photograph of people crossing ...
13
23
212
1/ New Orleans is home to one of the greatest coffee cultures in the world. With the port of New Orleans providing access to coffee beans grown all over the world, the coffee merchants and roasters of New Orleans have become famous. The Merchants Coffee Company produced ...
4
42
211
That moment when you turn around and barely have a second to point your camera at a Brown Pelican who thinks I'm a fish.
9
13
211
1/ The timeless beauty of the delicate cast-iron railings and ornaments on the balconies throughout the French Quarter is captured here by photographer Arnold Genthe in 1920 from the collection of the Library of Congress.
3
17
207
1/ Few people realize that the very first commercial movie theatre in the United States opened in New Orleans on July 26, 1896. Located at 623 Canal Street on the corner of Canal Street and Exchange Place, the 400-seat Vitascope Hall ran movies of boxing matches, ...
5
47
206
1/ Tucked away on St. Charles Avenue between Terpsichore and Euterpe Streets was a restaurant like none that you may have ever experienced – Corinne Dunbar’s. Opened in 1935 during the Great Depression on the ground floor of her family home, Mrs. Dunbar served a set menu ...
6
21
208
1/ With the purchase of the Roosevelt Hotel by the Vacarro family in 1923 and subsequent renovation of the Baronne Street side in 1925, the magnificent Roosevelt Hotel took center stage as one of the finest hotels in the South. In 1933, a former barber shop manager at the ...
6
26
206
1/ Every time I enjoy Louisiana strawberries, I can't help but think of the incredible amount of hard physical labor that goes into getting from farm to table. This Russell Lee photograph from 1939 depicts a young migrant field worker on a strawberry farm near Hammond, ...
3
19
199
1/ Felix's Restaurant and Oyster House at 739 Iberville Street in New Orleans has been one of the cornerstones of the city's seafood scene since the 1940s when this postcard was first produced.
7
23
199
The Carrollton Shopping Center circa 1952 at the corner of South Carrollton and Tulane Avenue, taken from the top of Pelican Stadium across the street. There was a Walgreen's Drug Store, a Maison Blanche store, the Mid-City Bowling Center, and another business on the far right.
11
26
196
1/ St. Charles Avenue sometime between 1900 and 1909 looking from Canal Street showing a bustling commercial district, with one brave lady crossing behind the Canal Street – Dryades Street streetcar on the right and about to cross in front of car number 285 on the left.
6
17
196
1/ When one remarks that "they don't make them like that anymore" they could well have been referring to the elegant interior of the D.H. Holmes department store on Canal Street.
9
13
200
Stained glass windows in the U.S. Customs House in New Orleans.
2
28
197
1/ An assembled swarm of LCVP (landing craft, vehicle, personnel) or Higgins boats in Bayou St. John ready for sea trials in Lake Pontchartrain.
9
32
190
1/ Nostalgia can be a funny thing. I fully understand how trying to cope with the present complexities of life in New Orleans can make one want to bring back the “good old days” when life was simpler, I would like to remind those yearning for a return to their childhood that ...
5
14
150
1/ Many New Orleanians believe the first scam ever perpetuated in the city was “I betcha I can tell you where you got dem shoes.” And while immensely popular to this day, it would have to take a backseat to the Mississippi Bubble.
5
24
196
1/ The United States consumes more coffee than any other nation on earth, some 145 billion cups every year. For decades, no, centuries, the port of New Orleans has handled shipments of coffee beans – over 550,000 tons every year, mostly from Brazil and Columbia.
6
33
194
1/ The restaurant named for its founder Antoine Alciatore was already 85-years old when this photograph was taken in 1925. Already famous for the cuisine they served to everyone from presidents to pool-sharps, little has changed except the vehicles parked in front.
4
17
192
1/ The Daughters of Charity opened a hospital for the poor and needy in 1859 called Hôtel-Dieu ("House of God"), shown here in 1874 on Perdido Street. It was the first hospital in the United States to have air conditioning in its surgical suites, and it was ...
12
25
190
1/ Since 1857, black men known as Flambeaux (literally “flaming torches”) have carried some means of lighting the carnival parade route during Mardi Gras, first with simple wooden torches wrapped in rags, then makeshift kerosene lanterns, and finally road flares.
3
23
186
1/ It’s difficult to imagine a boarded up and empty Napoleon House, but as this photograph shows, the property was offered for sale in 1936. Built in 1794 by Claude Francois Girod and enlarged in 1814 by his brother, Nicholas Girod, the mayor of New Orleans from 1812 until ...
3
26
185
1/ Located on Baronne Street near the old Brown’s Velvet Dairy in Central City, Sam Uglesich’s first opened in 1924 as a neighborhood restaurant that developed a loyal following. When second generation owners Anthony and Gail Uglesich took over, the menu took on a gourmet ...
16
19
190
1/ People often comment about how large many of the vintage automobiles were and how difficult it must have been to navigate along the streets of New Orleans. Well, imagine the difficulties for the streetcar operators in the French Quarter as evidenced by this image from ...
7
23
187
1/ In a city as old as New Orleans with a population as culturally diverse as ours, in the broadest terms nothing can be or should be considered normal. Not in the way we live and certainly not in the way we deal with the after-life.
5
23
187
1/ We have a saying in New Orleans: La plus ça change, plus c'est la même chose. That would hold true for the oldest family-run restaurant in America – Antoine’s, named for its founder Antoine Alciatore in 1840. The iconic restaurant at 713 St. Louis Street is shown in this ...
2
15
187
1/ A detail of a photograph of French Quarter balconies circa 1925. The intricate wrought iron work is exquisite if you just take a moment to look up. Wrought iron is defined as "an iron alloy with a very low carbon content” in contrast to cast iron. It is a semi-fused mass ...
4
25
187
1/ MAP MONDAY -- A French map of New Orleans ("La Nouvelle Orleans") from 1728 with the major landmarks numbered and indexed at the top of the document. Interesting to note that the Mississippi River was called the St. Louis River ("St. Louis Fleuve").
3
26
184
1/ New Orleans has produced numerous musical stars, from Buddy Bolden to Louis Armstrong to Fats Domino to Al Hirt and Pete Fountain to Dr. John and Harry Connick, Jr. But a group formed in 1965 known as The Meters who helped to introduce the world to the city’s sound.
7
29
177
1/ When they were open 24-hours a day in the French Quarter, early morning coffee at either Morning Call or Café du Monde almost always brought out an interesting cast of characters. This photograph dates from 1939 and certainly offers multiple conversation starters.
6
27
182
1/ The French Quarter was and, to a lesser extent, still is a vibrant and diverse neighborhood. This photograph of a woman gazing into the street from her balcony, perhaps having just finished hanging her laundry to dry, reminds us that there are people in the upper floors of ...
9
10
182
Photographer Ivana Fanti captured all thirteen of 2023's full moons and presents them side by side is one of the coolest images of the year. Wish I'd thought of that.
11
37
181
1/ St. Louis Cemetery No. 1 is the oldest remaining cemetery in the city of New Orleans. Most visitors are eager to visit the tomb of Marie Laveau, but one of the real jewels in the cemetery is a multi-vaulted society tombs. This ornate lion’s head iron door, complete with a ...
3
16
178
1/ There are so many magnificent homes lining each side of Esplanade Avenue in New Orleans that one almost becomes immune to their charm and history. One such home has been resurrected and remains a popular visitor and event venue – the Degas House at 872 Esplanade Avenue ...
5
17
180
1/ The foot of Canal Street around 1955, taken by an unknown photographer from atop the Algiers ferry. In the background we see the Hibernia National Bank tower at far left with the National American Bank to its right. All of the structures seen in the foreground were ...
7
12
176
1/ A 1902 photograph of a bustling Canal Street in downtown New Orleans, looking toward the Mississippi River. To the left across Canal Street would be the French Quarter and to the right would be the American Sector. Key to identifying the perspective is a familiar landmark ...
3
21
177
1/ Emile Commander established his restaurant on Washington Avenue in 1893. A devastating 1950s fire nearly destroyed Commander's Palace Restaurant when it was owned by Frank Moran. He would sell the business to the Brennan family in 1969.
8
19
171
1/ At the entrance to Bayou St. John on Lake Pontchartrain is an area known as Spanish Fort. From a small wooden fort erected by the French in 1701 even before the city of New Orleans was founded, the Spanish understood the importance of protecting this vital waterway and ...
5
12
177
1/ One of the oldest and most intriguing relics of French colonial history was discovered in 1910 by W.B. Schmidt from the site of Fort Maurepas (also known as Old Biloxi and now the city of Ocean Spring, Mississippi), the first permanent settlement in the Mississippi Valley.
3
19
175
1/ The 1950s were a period of sweeping change in all things social, political, and economic. These trends certainly took place in New Orleans as well. But above these, the changes in our cultural history, especially in relation to our architecture, was the most dramatic.
7
19
174
1/ In 1833, Germain Musson constructed a large three-story stone building with granite from Quincy, Massachusetts, at 167 Canal Street on the corner of Royal Street. The Musson family was well-known in New Orleans as successful cotton merchants and Michael Musson was the ...
2
8
173
1/ Periods of low water on the Mississippi River are nothing new as evidenced by this photograph from the New Orleans Public Library, circa 1910. Seasonal changes in the river level were quite common, both low water and high water, much as they are today. It was during these ...
3
12
113
1/ The National Biscuit Company, known today as Nabisco, had a popular division in New Orleans that produced “Uneeda Biscuits” beginning in 1898. All that remains of Uneeda Biscuit today are ghost signs – fading advertisements painted on the sides of buildings such as the one ...
4
18
175
1/ Since 1915 New Orleanians have been treated to the Roman Candy Man rolling through their neighborhood in his mule-drawn wagon. Roman Candy is another name for salt water taffy, probably resulting from someone's failed attempt in 1923 to trademark the name "salt water taffy."
6
16
166
1/ Returning to the ongoing theme of “looking up” when walking through the streets of New Orleans, during a recent walk through the residential section of the Marigny I came across so many Victorian-era cottage homes that had been lovingly and thoughtfully restored.
8
12
171
1/ The French Quarter was and, to a lesser extent, still is a vibrant and diverse neighborhood. This photograph of a woman gazing into the street from her balcony, perhaps having just finished hanging her laundry to dry, reminds us that there are people in the upper floors of ...
6
18
170
For those who never made it out of the boats.
For those who never made it out of the water.
For those who never made it off of the beach.
We are eternally grateful for your service and sacrifice.
Fair winds and following seas, gentlemen. We have the watch.
2
31
166
1/ An undated and unattributed photograph from the Cornell University Library shows a young man giving someone a shoeshine at the corner of Bourbon and Bienville Streets in front of the French Book Store and Circulating Library.
8
14
163
1/ Visitors often ask how the New Orleans airport, now named Louis Armstrong International Airport in honor of native son and jazz great Louis Armstrong, got the designation “MSY” from the International Air Transport Association (IATA).
8
25
167
1/ On the corner of Chartres and St. Ann Streets is a building steeped in history dating back to 1743 when it was the home of Jean Baptiste Destrehan, the Royal Treasurer of the French Colonies. It was severely damaged in the fire of 1788 and rebuilt, and was later owned by ...
3
24
165
1/ Map Monday: A 1900 map of the city of New Orleans showing the gradual development of the city towards the lake. The resort areas and their lighthouses are shown at West End, Spanish Fort, and Milneburg. Lighthouses along the Mississippi River at the bends in the river are ...
6
16
163
The world famous New Orleans French Market has been operating pretty much continuously since 1791 -- that's 232 years of making groceries in the farmer's market, shopping in the flea market, and eating the best of what the city has to offer. This photograph dates from the 1960s.
4
26
164
1/ One of history’s most enigmatic characters was that of Jean Lafitte, generally believed to have been born on September 25, 1780, but like so many things about him this too is up for debate. There are those who believe he was born in the Basque region of southern France ...
6
20
163
1/ Today we will take a tour of the U.S. Custom House in New Orleans courtesy of the acclaimed photographer Carol M. Highsmith who shot the building in 2011 and whose work may be found in the Library of Congress. The stark grey exterior gives no hint of the exquisite interior.
6
17
162
1/ It was well known that Governor Huey P. Long would command the same suite of rooms at the Roosevelt Hotel whenever he was in New Orleans. He would hold court in the Lounge, never without his favorite Ramos Gin Fizz in hand.
3
15
161
1/ The history of early New Orleans is full of swashbucklers, adventurers, and characters of all stripes. They frequented the cafes and coffee houses and mingled with the Creole merchants easily. Many made their way to New Orleans from Texas. One such character was James Bowie.
7
16
160
1/ The smallest newsstand in New Orleans in 1908 was located at 103 Royal Street. In addition to newspapers (local, Chicago, New York), the stand offered magazines and periodicals, postcards (3 for a nickel, 15-cents for a dozen), and who knows what all else.
12
20
162
1/ In 1937 the Bayou Pom Pom Grocery Store at 701 Bourbon Street, on the corner of St. Peter Street, served the neighborhood with a wide variety of items advertised on their exterior walls. Soft drinks from Coca-Cola, 7up, and RC Cola, coffee from French Market and Luzianne, ...
7
14
157
1/ New Orleanians have a unique relationship with death – we put wrought iron furniture in our above-ground cemeteries, and we give tours of the famous tombs. Our second line parades draw huge crowds, and the uninitiated gape at us during our celebratory wakes. We even have a ...
6
16
158
1/ The original Southern University, shown here in a 1935 photograph by Charles Franck, was located at 5116 Magazine Street on the corner of Soniat Street in New Orleans. Established by the 1879 Louisiana State Constitutional Convention, the institution thrived, but ...
2
19
160
1/ The resort of West End boasted a “scenic railway,” what we would call a roller coaster, that was built entirely over the waters of Lake Pontchartrain, pictured here in 1901 from the archives of the Library of Congress. At one end of the tracks was a Tunnel of Love which ...
4
15
156
1/ Opulent even by Gilded Age standards, the building on the northwest corner of Bourbon and Toulouse Streets was completed in 1859 at a cost of $118,000 (approximately $3.7 million today). The city’s French and Creole elite opened their pocketbooks to finance the structure ...
3
7
157
1/ Noted New Orleans architect James Gallier was born James Gallagher in Ravensdale, Ireland in 1798. He came to New Orleans in 1832 and his work is still visible around the city, including the old City Hall that now bears his name. He and his wife died at sea along with 281 ...
5
13
153
1/ An undated and unattributed photograph from the archives of the New Orleans Public Library which shows the corner of Freret Street at Jena Street with a NOPSI bus (affectionately called the “Freret Jet” by those like me who frequented it). On the left is Bill Long’s Bakery ...
8
14
156
1/ I had always wondered why Louisiana had parishes (counties) termed “the Florida Parishes.” This led to an interesting story about the disputed lands north of New Orleans briefly known as West Florida.
7
18
153
1/“Bourbon Street is, perhaps, the only one in New Orleans that has preserved the style and ‘cachet’ of the old French founders of the Gallic colony.” So wrote the special correspondent for Frank Leslie’s Illustrated Newspaper in the August 22, 1868, edition which highlighted ...
3
17
154