Historic Images of New Orleans

Veue de la Nouvelle Orleans, via Library of Congress

New Orleans is one of our country’s most visually striking cities.  From the balconies of the Vieux Carré to the mausoleums of the cemeteries, New Orleans has inspired many residents and visitors alike to capture the town’s unique cityscapes in sketches, paintings, engravings, and photographs.  The books below feature many of the pictures that artists have left behind over the the centuries, from the architectural drawings of Pierre Le Blond de La Tour to photographs from the Civil Rights Era.  The images that painters and photographers like Louis Develle and Theodore Lilienthal captured can help us to visualize what the city looked like in the past and how it has changed over time.  The visual record of Old New Orleans testifies to the city’s rich cultural heritage.

Bienville's New Orleans

Printmaking in New Orleans

Photography in New Orleans

Picturing Black New Orleans

New Orleans Then and Now

A Closer Look

New Orleans in Vintage Postcards

New Orleans

New Orleans Then and Now

New Orleans and Bayou Country

Historic Photos of New Orleans

New Orleans 1867

New Orleans, 1900 to 1920

New Orleans in the Thirties

New Orleans in the Forties

New Orleans in the Fifties

New Orleans in the Sixties