Louisiana Cultural Vistas - Winter 2005-2006 - (Page 30)

courtesy of the Bergeron Gallery. many artists, writers and performing artists moved to New Orleans and the French Quarter, attracted by its cheap rents and bohemian atmosphere. Many also recognized the changing character of the city, as indicated by Sherwood Anderson in 1922: “There is an old city here, on the lip of America, and all about it has been built a new and more modern city. In the old city a people once lived who loved to play, who made love in the moonlight, who walked under trees, gambled with death in the dueling fields. These people are pretty much gone now, but their old city is still left. Men here call it the ‘Vieux Carré.’” courtesy of The Historic New Orleans Collection. Beginning in the late 19th century, and continuing through the first half of the 20th century, artists and photographers recognized the unique and increasingly endangered nature of the city and its diverse populations, using them as inspiration for their works. After World War II, the pace of life in New Orleans accelerated, as did the rate of loss for historic structures and neighborhoods, although not as rapidly as in many parts of the nation. Artists, writers and musicians continued to live and work in the French Quarter. The Southern Yacht Club, a private club and the second oldest in the United States, was originally founded in 1849 in Pass Christian, Mississippi and included members from New Orleans. In 1879, with 402 members on its roll, the Southern Yacht Club relocated to New Orleans under the leadership of Commodore Emile J. O’Brien, a cotton broker, who spearheaded the construction of a clubhouse built at West End at the cost of $3,355. Because the New Basin Canal was a popular waterway for transporting logs and other activities, the clubhouse’s pilings were damaged over time, necessitating the construction of a new structure, which opened in 1900, costing $8,314. Over the years, it underwent a series of renovations and additions, and stood until 1948, when it was razed for a modern structure made of steel and reinforced concrete. In 1949, the new clubhouse was dedicated, the same year the Municipal Yacht Harbor was opened, and the public New Orleans Yacht Club was chartered by the State. 30 LOUISIANA ENDOWMENT FOR THE HUMANITIES\Winter 2005-06

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of Louisiana Cultural Vistas - Winter 2005-2006

Louisiana Cultural Vistas - Winter 2005 Contents Letters Editor’s Column Louisiana Endowment for the Humanities Louisiana State Museum After Katrina: “It’s time somebody woke us us up.” Missing New Orleans On Perilous Ground The Buildings of Louisiana (Architectural History by Karen Kingsley) Historic New Orleans Collection Louisiana Association of Museums Back to New Orleans Diary of a Displaced Person Jazz Notes (Music History by Bruce Raeburn) Cradle of the Stars The Terrible and the Brave Bookstand (Book Review by Thomas Uskali) Sound Advice (Music Review by Ben Sandmel) Forum (Commentary by James Lee Burke)

Louisiana Cultural Vistas - Winter 2005-2006

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