Louisiana Cultural Vistas - Spring 2006 - (Page 49) transference to Louisiana would require a book (or several) of its own. “All Louisianians are Frenchmen at heart.” So observed Pierre Clément Laussat, French colonial prefect, shortly after his arrival in New Orleans in the spring of 1803. Laussat’s hopes for a new French regime in Louisiana would soon be dashed by the transfer of Louisiana to the United States. But his words would prove prophetic nonetheless. The intellectual and cultural capital brought to Louisiana by former residents of St. Domingue may never fully be mea- sured. Working in fields as varied as medicine, education, agriculture, literature, and military science, first and second generation émigrés of all races and social classes imbued New Orleans with a cultural dye distinctive enough to withstand the homogenizing effects of the melting pot. If Louisianans remain Frenchmen at heart, two centuries after the Purchase, the St. Domingue émigrés deserve much of the credit. The remarkable individuals discussed here, and featured throughout Common Routes, can only begin to sug410 Chartres Street. gest the contributions of that larger, anonymous group of men and women who created so much of what we call New Orleans today. LCV Excerpted with permission from the catalog accompanying Common Routes: St. Domingue and Louisiana, published by The Historic New Orleans Collection. Alfred Lemmon is director of the Williams Research Center, and John Lawrence is director of Museum Programs at The Historic New Orleans Collection. “Telling the Stories of Our Region to New Orleans and the World” The Historic New Orleans Collection is a museum and research center dedicated to the history of New Orleans and Louisiana. The public is invited to tour the Collection’s galleries, house museum, and exhibitions, and to use its research facilities. Visit the Shop at the Collection for unusual gift items and books. LECTURES The Haitian Revolution’s Legacy in Creole New Orleans April 19, 6:30 p.m. Williams Research Center, 410 Chartres Street Free admission Dr. Caryn Cossé Bell Presented in cooperation with the National Park Service, Jean Lafitte National Historical Park and Preserve Seventh Annual Bill Russell Lecture Jelly Roll Morton: The Soul of a Jazzman April 21, 7 p.m. Free admission Featuring Bob Greene, writer and musician. Fifth Annual Les Comédiens Français Lecture April 25, 6:30 p.m. Williams Research Center, 410 Chartres Street Free admission The String Quartets of Chevalier de St. Georges, Hayden and Mozart with members of the Louisiana Philharmonic Orchestra. Eighth Annual Genealogy Lecture August (date to be determined later) Williams Research Center, 410 Chartres Street Visit The Collection Online: www.hnoc.org E-mail: hnocinfo@hnoc.org 1 The Collection 533 Royal Street New Orleans, LA 70130 (504) 523-4662 1 Williams Research Center 410 Chartres Street New Orleans, LA 70130 (504) 598-7171 EXHIBITIONS Common Routes: St. Domingue G Louisiana Through June 30 533 Royal Street Tuesdays through Saturdays 9:30 a.m. – 4:30 p.m. Admission: Adults $10 Seniors $7 Students & children FREE * The exhibition is FREE for Louisiana residents from 4:30 until 7:30 p.m. on Wednesdays through April. * Dine at the Rib Room and park FREE at the Omni Royal Orleans Hotel. Parking tickets must be validated in the restaurant. In the exhibition, rare and intriguing items spanning centuries illustrate the fascinating stories of St. Domingue’s history and it’s relationship with Louisiana. A catalogue accompanies the exhibition and lectures and educational activities are planned. The Toussaint Louverture Series by Jacob Lawrence Through June 30, 2006 533 Royal Street Tuesdays through Saturdays 9:30 a.m. – 4:30 p.m. * (Open until 7:30 p.m. on Wednesdays in April) Free admission On display in conjunction with Common Routes, The Historic New Orleans Collection, and The Amistad Research Center at Tulane University. On display are all 41 of Lawrence’s original Louverture series paintings. 1 Hours: Williams Gallery 533 Royal Street Tuesdays – Saturdays 9:30 – 4:30 p.m., except holidays. No charge for admission. Williams Research Center 410 Chartres Street Tuesdays – Saturdays 9:30 – 4:30 p.m., except holidays No charge for admission. PERMANENT EXHIBITIONS Louisiana Portraits after 1803 The Historic New Orleans Collection, Counting House, 533 Royal Street. Louisiana Sites and Citizens Williams Research Center, 1 Tours: Williams Residence Enter at 533 Royal Street: 10 & 11 a.m., and 2 & 3 p.m. Admission charge: $5 School group tours of the exhibition free of charge. Spring 2006/LOUISIANA CULTURAL VISTAS 49 http://www.hnoc.org
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