Since 1926, Pelican Publishing Company has been committed to publishing books of quality and permanence that enrich the lives of those who read them.
The most interesting period in the history of New Orleans is that included in the first four decades of the nineteenth century. During these years, the city emerged from the status of a small town which, for nearly a century, had been neglected by both France and Spain. Subjected to the whims of foreign masters, a pawn of the politics of a war-torn Europe, New Orleans before the Purchase although the capital of a vast empire, was never much more than a village. But when it became a part of the United States, New Orleans soon grew into a metropolis that attracted the attention not only of the Nation, but of the world.
More than a century after its publication, New Orleans As It Was still sizzles with all the salient episodes that constitute the charm of this unique metropolis of the South. Paperback.
More than a century after its publication, New Orleans As It Was still sizzles with all the salient episodes that constitute the charm of this unique metropolis of the South.
This is the ePub/eBook version of this title. This is not the print edition.
In her third book in the series of volumes describing past decades in New Orleans’ history, local author and historian Mary Lou Widmer offers readers unique glimpses into the celebrated decade of the fifties. It was a time of changing values and institutions, of a growing fear of communism and, at the same time, a growing sense of domestic tranquility and the importance of the family. It was a time of great growth and development in the city, and a departure from many of the old traditions and customs that had helped to define what New Orleans was all about. Paperback.
New Orleans in the Forties delightfully documents a time when, though the war raged in Europe, high school girls could still flirt on the streetcar with high school boys, and one made a trip to the movies to see Mary Martin, Lana Turner, or William Holden. The author recalls such youthful, frivolous events as slurping sodas and wolfing down cake at Woolworth’s on Canal Street, spending Friday nights at O’Shaugnessy’s Bowling Alley on Airline Highway, or frolicking at Pontchartrain Beach Amusement Park. Paperback.
An engaging exploration of the political, cultural, and economic influences that shaped post-Reconstruction New Orleans, this comprehensive history discusses a range of topics, from the politics of mayoral races including the story of the “Mafia” slaying of Police Chief David Hennessy in 1890 to the development of the Carnival and Mardi Gras traditions still prevalent in New Orleans today. In an effort to help fill the void surrounding this period, Joy J. Jackson places New Orleans in the context of the New South as she examines the city’s unique historical attributes.
New Orleans in the Thirties offers a nostalgic view of life in New Orleans half a century ago through photographs and reminiscences. It was a time when Robert Maestri was mayor, the St. Charles streetcar made a complete loop, and the Pelicans won the Dixie Series in baseball. Moreover, it was a time when doctors made house calls and women donned gloves to go shopping. Hardcover.
It was a decade of flappers, Prohibition, and unprecedented prosperity that abruptly ended with the crash of ’29. In New Orleans, steamships lined the wharves, vaudeville gave way to “talkies,” and William Faulkner’s Sherwood Anderson and Other Famous Creoles was the first book produced by a new publisher called Pelican Publishing Company.
Nearly 400 side-by-side photographs (many never before published) dating from 1847 to the present compare views as captured from the street, roof, and air in this visual exploration of the Crescent City. Referred to by some as the City That Care Forgot, New Orleans does, in fact, bear some scars caused by the ravages of time, nature, and “progress.” During the past 150 years, these afflictions have removed several estimable edifices from the cityscape. Hardcover.
Originally published in 1971, this book was hailed as the most comprehensive collection of photos, paintings, and drawings documenting the history, development, and customs of the city of New Orleans that has ever been produced. From La Salle’s claim of the Louisiana territory in the name of France in 1682, to the decisive Battle of New Orleans in 1815, to the fast-growing city of the mid- to late-nineteenth century, historian Leonard V. Huber provides a chronological study of this unforgettable city which is both extensive and educational. Hardcover.
This is the quintessential book on New Orleans for every history buff, citizen of New Orleans, or visitor wanting to know more about who we are and how we got here.
Although unknown to many, El Camino Real has shaped the history of the Southwest, from the founding of the state of Texas to the lawlessness of the Sabine Free State, a neutral strip that separated Louisiana from Texas before its independence. Once trod by herds of traveling buffalo, El Camino Real, also known as the Old Texas Trail, saw the union of Victoria Gonzales and Jean Baptiste DerBonne, a marriage that led to a temporary peace between the Spanish and the French. The road also influenced the career of outlaw and murderer John A. Murrell, who terrorized the neutral strip and searched for buried treasure. Paperback.
One of the greatest and most celebrated Southern writers of his day, George Washington Cable (1844-1925) helped to lead the local colorist movement of the late 1800s with his pioneering use of dialect and his skill with the short story form. A Southern reformist, Cable wrote faithful portrayals of Creoles and their culture that depict the Creole way of life during the transitory post-Civil War period. Paperback.
One of the greatest and most celebrated Southern writers of his day, George Washington Cable (1844-1925) helped to lead the local colorist movement of the late 1800s with his pioneering use of dialect and his skill with the short story form. A Southern reformist, Cable wrote faithful portrayals of Creoles and their culture that depict the Creole way of life during the transitory post-Civil War period.
A fascinating volume, Old Louisiana chronicles much of the state’s history. Vignettes depict the early French settlers, the later Spanish rulers, and the rise and collapse of the great plantation era. Paperback.
Steeped in musical influence, racial dynamics, and culinary significance, the Ninth Ward has distinguished itself as one of New Orleans’ most influential communities.