Antique shops line the streets of New Orleans, so, as a break from the Mardi Gras celebration, I took a walk to gander at the local shops. Scattered throughout the streets, antique shops have kept Magazine Street alive and continue to help the commercial area grow. One cannot walk a block without running into an antique shop. So I walked around my neighborhood and found a great antique mall filled with an eclectic style of items called Bon Marche’. Keeping alive the local flavor, a lot of Bon Marche’s stock is based around Louisiana. I spoke with partner Dianne Butler about the organization of her shop. Having worked as the manager of another antique mall before the storm, she saw an opportunity afterwards to open her own place. Due to the vandalism that occurred she was able to find a shop right on Magazine, which is very lucky considering rent for the area. While people were leaving, Dianne started a new business that has flourished since. I have watched her shop fill with items over the last two years and am happy to see over 10 dealers presently in her shop and her shelves filled with collectibles.

As Dianne nurtured her business it grew to include collections of seashells, architectural and outside furniture, antique jewelry, Louisiana photographs, Louisiana paintings, local, handcrafted art, books, and Mardi Gras related memorabilia. She keeps her shop filled with middle to high-end collectibles as well as cypress furniture made locally. By creating a local theme for her shop Dianne gives visitors and residents a different experience than other, often cluttered antique malls. Instead, Bon Marche’ is clean and professional looking. Do not worry, Dianne will still negotiate prices and greets everyone as if entering her own home. Besides being in a comfortable environment, the shop is filled with a mix of antiques and consignment items, so you never know what you will find. Having a good mix of items helps Dianne to pursue her own interests in collecting, such as art deco, oriental pieces, orange glass, and mannequins. Apparently, while setting up the Bon Marche’, Dianne found many old mannequins to help display her vintage clothes. However, she liked the mannequins so much that she brought them home and has begun collecting them ever since. Dianne’s dedication to her customers and her business is apparent from my comfortable shopping experience. Bon Marche’ opens up Louisiana to its visitors, carrying many local items found no other place. Next time you are in town looking for that one thing to remind you of New Orleans, stay out of the T-Shirt shops and walk on into Bon Marche’.

The Cabildo
701 Chartes St.
Jackson Square, New Orleans LA
Admission $6 Adult/$5 Student

The Cabildo, once the governing building of the Spanish government in New Orleans, is today an elaborate museum set in a historical and magnificent building. From Meso-Indians to Reconstruction, the Cabildo Louisiana Museum presents a broad view of Louisiana’s history. With the help of illustrations, reproduced images and artifacts the museum tells the story of the first settlers of Louisiana. As one walks throughout the historic building, the story of the state is told. Unfortunately the Cabildo does not give out a brochure, but the lady at the front desk is so helpful you do not need a map. I was surprised at the size of the Cabildo, and the variety of objects that lie within. I was expecting just history on the Spanish period of New Orleans. Though there is some favoritism to the Spanish period (1763-1803), the majority of the exhibit is truly about Louisiana culture and how it has changed throughout history. Each room covers a section of history.

The Corps de Grande, once a police station in the 18th-19th centuries, holds the Pre-colonial and Colonial exhibits. Besides ancient artifacts like bowls and arrowheads, the room displays military weapons from the 1790s. This section of the exhibit highlights the different populations moving into Louisiana, especially during the Spanish era when a variety of peoples from Acadians to Canary islanders joined the population. The next room contains articles referencing entertainment of the Colonial populations including cards and a wonderful cabinet piano that contains all its inner workings above storage shelves on top of the keyboard. In the circular staircase hallway is a small section on Napoleon. His death mask, misplaced during the civil war, is found there, truly bringing Napoleon to life for generations to come. On the second floor the old Treasurer’s office now holds an exhibition on Andrew Jackson and the War of 1812. The next room, the Sala Capitula, was once the meeting place for the New Orleans City Council. The scene has been recreated with a long table and pews. Exit the Sala Capitula and enter a long hallway that looks out onto Jackson Square. The view from the second floor is exquisite, overlooking the park and Jackson’s statue. On the other side of the second floor the exhibit continues into Antebellum Louisiana (1812-1860). This section includes information on popular entertainment for slaves and the well to do of the time, death in Louisiana, especially common due to yellow fever, and the different people that compose the varied population of New Orleans. The third floor continues the Antebellum section with displays on the slave trade to agrarian life to living in New Orleans. The museum then moves onto the Civil War and Reconstruction periods. Included in this part of the exhibit are an upright piano from 1855, old Tabasco Sauce bottles and a large state lottery wheel. Information abounds, so be ready to spend a few hours reading at the Cabildo, but do not miss the great cultural artifacts of yesteryear while your educating yourself on the history of Louisiana.

Birds of a Feather Part 2
Historic New Orleans Collection
410 Chartres St. New Orleans, La
$6 Admission
$10 Admission + Booklet

I never thought wooden decoys would excite me, but after attending the “Birds of a Feather” exhibit at the Historic New Orleans Collection I was shown a new art form. The exhibit displays wildfowl wooden carvings from Southeast Louisiana. After seeing Part 2, which contains contemporary carvings, I wish I had caught the Part 1 on usable, older decoys. However, there is a great booklet available describing the history of decoys. The carvings I saw were not usable decoys, but they were created in the same tradition using cypress wood and wooden hand carving materials. A light and easily malleable wood, cypress was originally used to keep the decoys afloat. More than mere hobby, these woodcarvings are extremely lifelike, attesting to the talents of the artists as well as their knowledge of wildlife. One has to literally look twice to tell they are masterfully painted and shaped. In many cases each feather is carved out and individually painted. Many carvers try to capture the wildfowl in a natural stance, such as picking at feathers, cleaning themselves, nesting, sleeping or caring for their young.

Brought together from a variety of collections, the Birds of a Feather exhibit illustrates the talents of this local folk art form. Though some are educated, most carvers grow up learning to make their own fishing tools. Naturally a folk art would grow out of such craftsmanship; from the need to work with one’s hands arises the creativity of man. Perhaps the most striking piece was of an owl clenching a quail. Sitting upon a log with its claws clinging onto a lifeless quail, the owl looks truly magnificent. Wisps of feathers graze the quail’s head, but are really tiny flakes of cypress wood. When one looks upon the scene, it appears to be animated due to how lifelike the representation of wildlife is. My mouth gaping open, due to the power of the scene, I can hardly believe the soft feathers are all carved from wood. Before the exhibit ends on April 20, come travel to the Historic New Orleans Collection and be astounded by the collection of carved wildfowl, from ducks to pelicans to owls. Don’t be surprised if you think you see one move!