NEW ORLEANS – To mark the centennial of 1920’s French Quarter bohemia, the Historic New Orleans Collection (HNOC) will host a special public program that explores the vibrant and creative world of 1920’s New Orleans. “French Quarter Bohemia, 1926” will take place Saturday, Sept. 12, and include free presentations and lectures followed by a ticketed Swingin’ Soirée.
“One hundred years ago, the French Quarter stood at the crossroads of a literary, artistic and preservation renaissance,” said Daniel Hammer, HNOC president and CEO. “We’re excited to present this unique program exploring the people, places, trends and colorful social scene in the early 20th-century French Quarter.”
The presentations begin at 2 p.m. with acclaimed author and scholar John Shelton Reed’s lecture, “Literary Bohemia,” which will explore the teeming literary scene of the French Quarter and the national fascination with New Orleans in the early 20th century. This discussion will celebrate the 100th anniversary of “Sherwood Anderson and Other Famous Creoles: A Gallery of Contemporary New Orleans,” a who’s-who of bohemian New Orleans featuring caricatures by William Spratling and a foreword by William Faulkner.
Judith Bonner, former HNOC Senior Art Curator known for her seminal work on the era, will then take the stage for “Painting the Quarter: The Arts and Crafts Club of New Orleans,” where she will discuss the visual arts renaissance of the 1920’s French Quarter, highlighting artists’ circles, artists and notable works of the era. To close out the free presentations, architectural historian and lifelong French Quarter resident Ann M. Masson will present “Saving the Vieux Carre,” highlighting the 1920’s preservation movement and specifically touching on the contributions of William Ratcliffe Irby, who owned HNOC’s Seignouret-Brulatour Building at 520 Royal St. at the time.
All lectures will take place at HNOC’s Williams Research Center located at 410 Chartres St. from 2 to 5 p.m. Admission is free, but advance registration is required. The day will conclude with a ticketed 1920’s-themed soirée at HNOC’s museum at 520 Royal St. featuring refreshments, an open wine-and-champagne bar, and live music by the Slick Skillet
Serenaders, a New Orleans-based ragtime band with a touch of Vaudeville whimsy. Tickets to the soirée are $20 and available to anyone; attendees are encouraged to wear 1920’s attire.
To register for “French Quarter Bohemia” or to purchase tickets to the Swingin’ Soirée, visit hnoc.org.