Louisiana Cultural Vistas - Fall 2008 - (Page 69)

planned on returning the stone to Ocean Springs after thirty days. But according to Fortier “the heirs of the Schmidt estate expressed their great pleasure” at Schreiber’s “turning over” of the plaque to the museum and “stated that it was their wish the plaque remain in the custody of this state institution.” In the fall of 1937, Fortier asked Schreiber to make his donation to the Louisiana State Museum official. Schreiber wrote the curator a letter in October 1937 confirming his donation. The old Austrian lighthouse keeper, who admitted he was not very educated, claimed, “I, nor any body [sic] owned the stone And that all I wanted it to be used for Historical perperes [sic] only and for no profit to any indevidual [sic].” Complaining that the stone was “un observed and unnoticed” in Ocean Springs for over a year next to Dr. Bailey’s office, Schreiber wrote unequivocally to Fortier, “I SAY LET IT STAY WHERE IT IS NOW. IN GOOD CARE AND IN THE RIGHT PLACE IN THE LA STATE MUSEUM.” Understanding that Fortier was under pressure from Dr. Bailey to return the stone, Schreiber informed the curator, “I will try to get Dr. Bailey to see it that way.” But Schreiber may not have been immediately successful in this latter endeavor. For years, residents of Ocean Springs felt a sense of injustice over the issue. Today, Edmond Boudreaux argues that residents of Ocean Springs have generally come to terms with Schreiber’s donation. Perhaps Fortier did take the objects to Louisiana with a larger agenda than examining them. But Schreiber never envisioned Ocean Springs as having any entitlement to the stone. As he forcefully concluded to Fortier in his letter, “I don’t owe Ocean Springs, or anyone a red cent. no [sic] one has ever shown me any favors or a[n]y kind or gave me anything, And [sic] I never asked for any.” The Louisiana State Museum operates nine historic properties open to the public. For more information, log on to www.lsm.crt.state.la.us/ or call: 1 (800) 568-6968 NEW ORLEANS All properties open Tuesday – Sunday, 9 a.m.–5 p.m. 1 (800) 568-6968 Cabildo 701 Chartres Street at Jackson Square The Cabildo: Two Hundred Years of Louisiana History features exhibits that trace Louisiana’s past from 17th century to post-Civil War Reconstruction. Also on view: Freshly Brewed: The Coffee Trade and the Port of New Orleans. Presbytere 751 Chartres Street at Jackson Square Celebrate Mardi Gras yearround: It’s Carnival Time in Louisiana. The Old U.S. Mint 400 Esplanade Avenue LSM plays a central role in Prospect1, a citywide celebration of international art from Nov. 1, 2008- January 18, 2009. The Old U.S. Mint will host 29 pieces of multimedia art that range from video installations to large-scale sculpture. 1850 House 523 St. Ann Street at Jackson Square Authentically furnished Pontalba apartment of a middle-class family life during the most prosperous period in New Orleans’ history. Madame John’s Legacy 632 Dumaine Street Excellent example of Louisiana Creole residential design of the late 18th century. The building that stands today was constructed in 1788, although a French colonist named Jean Pascal occupied and built other structures on this site as early as the 1720s. NATCHITOCHES Open Monday-Saturday, 9 a.m.-5 p.m. (318) 357-2270 The Old Courthouse Museum 600 Second Street Game Faces: LSU Sports offers memorabilia and artifacts, including trophies, jerseys, jackets and helmuts worn by LSU athletes. PATTERSON Open Tuesday-Saturday, 9 a.m.-5 p.m. (985) 399-1268 La. State Museum-Patterson 118 Cotton Road off LA 90 Paintings from George Rodrigue: Cajuns and Blue Dogs, through Nov. 1, will include select Cajun-themed works from the Begneaud family collection, the Saga of the Acadians series from the Gauthier family collection, and Blue Dogs from the private collection of George and Wendy Rodrigue. Madame John’s Legacy Today, the Louisiana State Museum is honored to display this unique artifact at the Cabildo, where an updated label now appears. And in the spirit of cooperation, the Louisiana State Museum has offered to assist in making a replica of the stone for the Maritime and Seafood Industry Museum in Biloxi. Boudreaux, who volunteers for that museum, recently acknowledged this attempt at reconciliation: “During the mid1900s there were a large number of individuals in Ocean Springs who believed that the stone was basically stolen from the family and the City of Ocean Springs. Today you may find some who still feel the same, but I believe the majority would at least like to see a replica of ‘The Iberville Stone’ in a local museum.” Despite all of the examinations and research, experts have still not definitively proven that the Iberville Stone is authentic — that it is the original French plaque from 1699 marking the site of Fort Maurepas. The stone may have been inscribed in 1699, or it may be a commemorative plaque from the 1720s as the amateur historian Poitevant claimed. Even more disconcerting, though, is the idea that the stone is a hoax from the early 1900s, as the anonymous old man in Biloxi declared. But while the history of the stone ultimately remains unconfirmed, its mystery points to our fascination with objects from the past. The Louisiana State Museum encourages visitors to view the Iberville Stone in the Cabildo, where it still invites speculation about its true history and illustrates how historical research often leaves unresolved questions. —Charles Chamberlain Museum Historian The Mystery Remains BATON ROUGE Open Tuesday-Saturday, 9 a.m.5 p.m.; Sunday Noon-5 p.m. (225) 342-5414 La. State Museum-Baton Rouge 660 N. 4th Street Exhibits cover the broad history of the state, with themed areas grouped within Grounds for Greatness: Louisiana and the Nation and The Louisiana Experience: Discovering the Soul of America. THIBODAUX Open Tuesday – Saturday, 9 a.m.–5 p.m. (985) 447-0915 E. D. White Historic Site 2295 LA Highway 1 Exhibits on the lives of Gov. Edward Douglas White and his son, United States Supreme Court Chief Justice Edward Douglass White, as well as the history of the White family in the Bayou Lafourche area and the region’s sugar industry. Bayou Lafourche Heritage Day on Sept. 27 is a celebration of culture and livelihood surrounding Bayou Lafourche, featuring traditional music, unique cuisine, folk art, and crafts. Fall 2008/LOUISIANA CULTURAL VISTAS 69 http://www.lsm.crt.state.la.us/

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of Louisiana Cultural Vistas - Fall 2008

Louisiana Cultural Vistas - Fall 2008 Contents Friends Editor’s Column Louisiana Endowment for the Humanities New Orleans Immortelle The Historic New Orleans Collection Highland-Fairfield: The Historic Heart of Shreveport The Ogden Museum of Southern Art Perils of the Mississippi River Louisiana Foodways Harvest of Life King Oliver: The Forgotten King of Jazz Louisiana Architecture Jazz Notes Louisiana State Museum Eye of the Storm Louisiana Association of Museums Soul Resin Bookstand Sound Advice Forum

Louisiana Cultural Vistas - Fall 2008

For optimal viewing of this digital publication, please enable JavaScript and then refresh the page. If you would like to try to load the digital publication without using Flash Player detection, please click here.