NOLA 2005 Tri-State Shutter Swap 004 - Flood Water Line

Please click on the image for a larger, more-detailed version.It was just enough water to get in and screw everything up.

The Live Oaks did just fine, but massive Magnolias, Crepe Myrtles by the score and anything submerged below the waterline for extended periods of time as these shrubs were didn't have a chance. This medical center is on Canal Street near Mid-City, which is the deepest part of the bowl that is New Orleans and thus had the deepest flood waters. The high rim of the bowl is the levee created by the river. It's true: you were safer from the flood if you were near water, either the lake to the North or river to the South. The World Trade Center is on Canal, but on the river, so it remained high and dry.

NOLA Burial & Necropolis 001 - Lafayette Tomb

Please click on the image for a larger, more-detailed version.This tomb is in Lafayette Cemetery No. 1, where scenes from the films Easy Rider and Interview with a Vampire were shot.

It is bordered by 6th St, Prytania, Coliseum and Washington. This is Uptown, Garden District.

We lived in an apartment on 6th Street, 2 doors down from the cemetery. The opposite corner of the cemetery meets the front door of Commander's Palace, one of the standard-setting restaurants not only for New Orleans, but the whole nation, if not the world.

This is a poorer-quality photo because it is a scan of a sun-faded, thumb-tacked print that I keep behind my desk at work.

Anyone else see a face in the whitewash?

I like how you can see the bricks through the plaster.

NOLA Architecture 007 - World Trade Center

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Bet you didn't know New Orleans has a World Trade Center.
They do and it has a website.

The Plimsoll Club is the restaurant at the top, similar to Windows on the World.
I don't know if the Plimsoll Club rotates or not.

The WTC sits on the Mississippi at the end (or beginning if you prefer) of Canal Street, which separates the French Quarter from the Central Business District.

NOLA Art & Whimsy 006 - Stencil Graffiti

Please click on the image for a larger, more-detailed version. I'm sure you've noticed in your town that stencil graffiti has become rather popular. There is master stencil graffiti artist out there who uses the moniker "Banksy". Apparently, when Banksy violates your property rights and besmirches the visual integrity of your building, your property value increases by $35,000 to $170,000!. The work you see above seems far too simple and simple-minded to be a Banksy, but I don't know. You really should check out this gallery.

Banksy's work is usually critical of some societal failure, usually by those who are supposed to be watching out for us. Artists always have to be shocking or fighting the status quo or rebelling against some perceived totalitarianism these days, don't they? Seems it's still shocking to those who wield paint and pens that our governments have failed us. Or maybe they're just bitter that the socialist Utopias they dreamed of and voted for have come around to bite us in the ass (Surprise!). On the third anniversary of Katrina, Banksy (who is from England) paid a visit to New Orleans to comment on the healing thus far.
Banksy has a now somewhat famous quote concerning New Orleans:
"I looked out the window of the taxi on the drive into New Orleans and remarked, "There's still so much devastation, I can't believe they haven't cleaned this mess up,' to which the driver stared at me and said, "This part of the city wasn't affected by the hurricane, it's always looked like this.'" {-Gambit Magazine}

Also unbeknown to Banksy, New Orleans is home to a 52-year-old ex-Marine named Fred Radtke who has taken it upon himself to cover up any graffiti he sees with grey primer. This has earned him the name "Grey Ghost".


WELL, Radke has become somewhat of a large rock thrown with great force into a nest of already-angry bees. Not only did Banksy start targeting Grey Ghost specifically in his art, there was a public outcry against Grey Ghost (at least from the Arts community).

A little presumptuous, Banksy.

A little presumptuous, arts community.

Not only that, people are threatening to sue Grey Ghost for devaluing property (after it is increased by Banksy). Since he is in cahoots with the local Police, Military police have been brought in to deal with him. Some have taken to covering their walls with Plexiglas to protect Banksy's work. Seriously, read it all here.

Talk about being oblivious to drama unfolding within your community, beneath your very eyes. At any rate, Banksy has spawned many wannabes and copy-cats, especially since that kind of money is being mentioned. They're coming to city near you if not already. Hell, I might try this on my own house, if it can get me an extra 10-spot on the resale. I imagine others will do the same. And thus, another art form becomes inbred and devalued.

NOLA Flora & Fauna 006 - Leaning Oak

Please click on the image for a larger, more-detailed version.I promise I will get away from the Oak trees soon. I think I could have a whole album called "New Orleans Live Oaks" separate from the "Flora & Fauna", and have a paragraph to write about each one.

This tree is in the Garden District, at 7th and Prytania. I took this photo in March of '06, when Katrina / Rita cleanup was being executed with reckless fervor and wild abandon.

You see that there is a note affixed to the tree. It is in a clear plastic 3-ring binder sleeve to protect it from the weather and it reads:

ATTENTION:

DO NOT REMOVE THIS TREE.

THIS TREE HAS BEEN LEANING IN THIS MANNER FOR OVER 50 YEARS AND DID NOT MOVE OR TAKE ON ITS CURRENT POSITION AS A CONSEQUENCE OF WINDS SUSTAINED BY HURRICANES KATRINA AND RITA.

FURTHER IN LATE OCTOBER 2005, THIS TREE WAS INSPECTED BY A LICENSED ARBORIST EMPLOYED WITH BAYOU TREE SERVICE, INC. WHO DETERMINED THAT THE TREE WAS HEALTHY AND POSED NO THREAT OF FALLING OVER.

SHOULD YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS, PLEASE CONTACT THE OWNER OF 1506 SEVENTH ST. AT 585-XXXX OR 451-XXXX.

THANK YOU

Eloquent; concise; polite; stern.

Just as some businesses survived all of the weather disasters of 2005, yet still had to close because the customer base moved away, imagine the panic these people felt to have this amazing tree that survived not only the 4 major hurricanes of the past century, but untold numbers of storms in the century or centuries before that, at risk of being brought to the ground by some mouth-breathing government worker.

I suspect that if the author had his or her 'druthers, they'd quit their job and stand sentry on that upper gallery with a shotgun. I would.

There are thousands of these trees in New Orleans and the city and private citizens pay lots and lots and lots of money to keep them healthy, mostly to Bayou Tree Service, Inc. I see their trucks everywhere, always.

And that's good.


Also in this photo: along the fence across Prytania Street you see a handful of elections signs. In the Mayoral election following the storms, there were literally dozens of people vying. You couldn't swing a dead cat anywhere in NOLA without hitting some kind of campaign propaganda.

NOLA 2005 Tri-State Shutter Swap 003 - SPCA Warning

Please click on the image for a larger, more-detailed version. This was uptown, near the upstream end of the Garden District.

NOLA by professional photographers 005 - Mr. Bingle

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We try to be seasonal, we really do.
Each year, City Park decorates its ancient Oak trees with Winter / Christmas paraphernalia. The event is called Celebration in the Oaks and it's yet one more excuse for tho whole city to get together and get sloshed. Then some young punks show up, shoot the shit out of us and we go home. But Heck, Carnival starts on Epiphany, we have to heal up before the King Cake parties start (more on that later).

The character you see here is Mr. Bingle. Mr. Bingle is exclusive to New Orleans. New Orleans loves it's exclusives. You know that song, "Little Bunny Foo Foo"? New Orleans' book stores carry "Little Crawfish Boudreaux...scooping up the 'skeeters, bopping them on the head"- I shit you not (remember a couple days ago when I said sometimes they try too hard?).

Anyway~
There was once a grand department store on Canal Street called Maison Blanche (White House). Mr. Bingle is their Christmas mascot, like Cleveland's Mr. Jingeling "Keeper of the Keys" at Halle's department store or Uncle Mistletoe at Marshall Field's stores in Chicago. I know, I know- he has a sugar cone for a hat. Creativity has always been at a premium, you know? We drink a LOT in New Orleans. In fact, the Maison Blanche is now a Ritz-Carlton (I don't know about you but the only thing I do in a Ritz-Carlton is drink).

The (warbly, barely audible) Story of Mr. Bingle:

As an aside, Mr. Bingle (given that name so that he would have the same initials as (Maison Blanche) was created as a direct response to "Uncle Mistletoe" in Chicago and a Chicago ad firm created Mr. Jingeling. So we have the Windy City to thank for each of these creepy, creepy holiday icons.

In the "New Orleans as photographed by professional photographers" posts, every photo is owned by a professional. These low-res reproductions will hopefully entice you to seek out the originals. I will include all contact information whenever possible. None is available for this photo.

NOLA Architecture 006 - Marengo / Prytania Victorian

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I have dozens of "favorite houses" in New Orleans, but this lovely Victorian is up in the top 3 or 5. It's at Prytania and Marengo. Our house is on Marengo, so I get to drive by it a lot. The windows in the rounded corner area (I have no architectural vocabulary whatsoever) have curved glass. Some of these windows have the dimples and waviness that let you know they are at least 100 years old and are probably handmade. That's 4 major hurricanes they've survived. The sad story here is that this house has been chopped up inside and is now 4-7 apartments. Hell, It's probably been made into condos by now. It's very trendy in New Orleans to sell sets of apartments as condos. It breaks my heart.
Google Street View

One of the problems of these cheap Point & Shoot digital cameras is that you have no control over light exposure and the sky is always blasting white unless you take them at 6 a.m. It drives me crazy.

NOLA Art & Whimsy 005 - Bakfiet

So this chick was tooling around the shops at Jefferson / Magazine in this child-filled contraption. Even in New Orleans, she kind of stood out- all that RED! Not to mention she was wearing some kind of heeled shoes (patent cherry red wedge pumps, Janine remembers). To top it off, the damn dog. To top it off again, the parasol??

So I said, "Hey, can I take a picture of your, um, thing, there?"
She said,"sure" and whipped into this pose like she'd done it 1000 times before (it was nothing special to the kids, either).

I asked her if she made the bike thing. She told me she had lived in Amsterdam where these things are de rigueur. She just brought it with her when she came back.

In crankier moods, I would dismiss her as part of a group of people in New Orleans who want so badly to be eccentrics but usually end up just trying too hard (trust me, there are a lot of them).

But I genuinely think she's just out enjoying herself on a nice day, not necessarily trying to put on a show, but also being cognizant that she is and not minding that at all. She clearly loves the city and embraces the freedom it gives by not really noticing things that would stand out (possibly to deleterious effect) in other cities.

13Jan08: I have learned that the bike thing is called a "Bakfiete"

NOLA by professional photographers 004 - Dunham Farms

Live Oaks & Azaleas.

I have no idea where this photo came from, so I can't give a proper photographer credit. And I'm not even sure it's New Orleans. This could be Savannah, for all I know. But I've seen places like this in New Orleans and feel it represents it properly, anyway.

Perception is reality. I've learned this from my politicians, who thankfully know better than I. Like, Oral sex isn't sex and the French Quarter doesn't have to stink--

Remember when New Orleans Mayoral candidate Kimberly Williamson Butler's website featured pictures of her in the French Quarter (except it was the much cleaner French Quarter in Disneyland)? Yeah, me either. But it happened.

THIS is an AWESOME story:

If Kimberly Williamson-Butler actually wins this election, should they hold the victory party at the Blue Bayou?

It is SO New Orleans politics.

I mean really, can you even GET a photograph in the real French Quarter without someone in the background vomiting? OK, I don't know how the Hell I got here from a lovely Azalea hedge, but that's how it goes.

Addendum:
2 minutes of research tells me that this is likely Dunham Farms in Georgia- wouldn't you know it, right outside of Savannah.


In the "New Orleans as photographed by professional photographers" posts, every photo is owned by a professional. These low-res reproductions will hopefully entice you to seek out the originals. I will include all contact information whenever possible.

NOLA Flora & Fauna 005 Carrolton Oak

If larger versions are desired, please click on the images below.

Today's pic is a 3-parter. This is a lovely Live Oak on Carrolton Avenue. You've surely noticed by now that this album will be absolutely lousy with Oak trees. But they are truly breath-taking.
This is how you notice that New Orleans has seasons: Brown, crunchy moss or lush, green moss.

NOLA Architecture 005 - Dragonfly Fence

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Often, I will have to make a call as to which album I should place a photo. Of course all architecture is art. My focus here is the Fence, which I will lump in with architecture. I should do the same with landscaping. I first saw this while riding my bike around. It took me months to find it again to take a picture. And actually, I couldn't find it again now if I tried.

Really, what yard isn't made stunning by any kind of Magnolia.

NOLA Art & Whimsy 004 - Red Tree Ornaments

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This house is not decorated for a festival, parade, or holiday. It's just there for the sake of art and fun.

That or it was decorated for a festival, parade, or holiday and it's just there because no one got around to taking it down. It's too damn hot to have a sense of urgency.

NOLA Flora & Fauna 004 - Resurrection Ferns

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These are called Resurrection Ferns (ones that grow from random places- cracks in steps, walls, etc) after a good rain.

People often ask me what my favorite thing about New Orleans is (because I annoyingly somehow find a way to work the topic into every conversation I have).

I have one reply: "If you stand on a street corner for any amount of time, something will settle on you and start growing. A spore will land in your ear and you'll have a 3" fern growing out of your head by the time the bus comes."

The rich delta soil spits out life in alarming volume. When the city is gone I will come fish its ruins, because it is the city that will not stop giving.

NOLA Architecture 004 - One Wall and Roof

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Dude has one wall and a roof. HELL YES we're going to restore instead of rebuild!

My cynical side guesses that this was done because it allowed for a more obtainable loan as opposed to a new construction loan.

NOLA by professional photographers 003 - Sexton

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Here's the problem in a nutshell.
I'm not at all anti-industry or one of those people whining non-stop about multi-national corps, but destroying the Gulf South's windbreak for factories and petrochemical plants is the second stupidest thing we've done which ensures the demise of New Orleans as well as the rest of the swamp.

But, whatever... Apparently we can't give this any attention because ensuring gub'mint takeover of the oil industry because the sky is falling (or maybe it isn't) is more important than real issues such as the destruction of critical landmasses, thermal pollution (from paving the world) and real pollution (such as tons of phosphate and nitrogen-rich fertilizers washing into the Gulf from the Midwest, making red tides). At first it looks like the government is environmentally penny-wise and pound-foolish in focusing on CO2 waste. Except that they are not. There is an agenda for money & power and well-intended "environmentalists" eat it up & believe the hype.

To me it's like letting a tire salesman convince you that you need to buy new tires, then being smug about it, when you KNOW you have no earthly idea if your tires were bad or not. But your intentions were good and that's all that matters. Afterall, how could the added safety of new tires be bad? We just had to skip a few meals for them... And my neighbor had to get rid of his car...But the salesman has a new Escalade...
I promise you that once the government owns these petro plants, it's only going to get worse.

I just hope New Orleans and surrounding areas don't go tits-up before I do.

This picture is from one of my most treasured books, Richard Sexton's Vestiges of Grandeur: The Plantations of Lousiana's River Road (Find At Amazon)


In the "New Orleans as photographed by professional photographers" posts, every photo is owned by a professional. These low-res reproductions will hopefully entice you to seek out the originals. I will include all contact information whenever possible

NOLA Art & Whimsy 003 - Z'otz

If a larger version is desired, please click on the image below.This is in a covered "courtyard" sort of thing behind Z'otz coffee house / cyber cafe on Oak street way uptown. Many areas behind bars / shops / coffee houses have areas in the back that are kind of outside but kind of not.

13Jan09:
It finally occurred to me to look at the paper on the wall.
This piece is called "The Twins" and was installed by Don Corbitt. He is also a photographer, please check out his other works.

NOLA Flora & Fauna 003 - Treehole in Fence

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There's a different attitude toward nature in New Orleans.
First of all, it's best not to anger it. You see that this is not a big or fancy or exotic tree, but we're still making way for ducklings, here. I see a lot of stuff like this in this town.

NOLA Architecture 003 - Fallen Cake

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Accurately described by my bride as a "fallen cake", this is likely not a candidate for rehab. One must understand that New Orleans looked like this BEFORE Katrina and Rita. The city has been neglected for 35 years. And it has been rebounding for 35 years.

NOLA 2005 Tri-State Shutter Swap 002 - Tree on House

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"Shutter Swap" posts are mostly professionally-taken photos or photos found on the web, and largely offered without comment.

NOLA by Professional Photographers 002 - Bob French

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This powerful image is sold as a poster by Habitat for Humanity to raise funds for a Project called Musician's Village among other things. {From Ebay} The photograph, taken by Scott Landis, is of New Orleans musician Bob French. Mr. French is one of the many who lost their home to the flood waters when the flood walls failed. Mr. French is a drummer and leader of the Original Tuxedo Brass Band. This is the band established by Oscar (Papa) Celestin in 1910. Mr. French took over the leadership from his father Albert in 1977. Notice that down the street there is a house in the road.

In the "New Orleans as photographed by professional photographers" posts, every photo is owned by a professional. These low-res reproductions will hopefully entice you to seek out the originals. I will include all contact information whenever possible

NOLA Art & Whimsy 002 - Doghouse

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Doghouse, NOLA Style.

NOLA Flora & Fauna 002 - Sidewalk Roots

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In the Gulf South, nature wins every time. It will overwhelm you. Should man leave this place, all trace would vanish, be swallowed whole in moments. Allowing us to live there is a gracious act. But in the mean time if a tree decides you don't get a sidewalk, you don't get a sidewalk.

NOLA Architecture 002 - Painted Lady

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New Orleans will give the Painted Ladies of the Northwest a run for their money any day. These look more like houses in Haiti, though. For the record this house is about 1100 square feet and likely going for $350,000. And what you see is the extent of the yard.

NOLA 2005 Tri-State Shutter Swap 001- Keep Moving

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Keep movin'. Nothing to see here.

This photo from http://groups.myspace.com/nolarefugees

Mostly aftermath pictures from Katrina & Rita.

"Shutter Swap" posts are mostly professionally-taken photos or photos found on the web, and largely offered without comment.

NOLA by professional photographers 001- Ruthie the Duck Girl

If a larger version is desired, please click on the image below.This is Ruthie the Duck Girl as photographed by George Long.
I encourage you to see (and buy!) his work.

A biography of Ruthie is here.
Her Obituary is here (Los Angeles Times, No Less!)

In the "New Orleans as photographed by professional photographers" posts, every photo is owned by a professional. These low-res reproductions will hopefully entice you to seek out the originals. I will include all contact information whenever possible

NOLA Art & Whimsy 001- Haiku Boards

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Haiku Boards.

On this tree lawn someone has set up an area for passers-by to write Haikus.

It's not like this is near a university, where everyone fancies him or herself so intellectual and / or artsy. This is in a random neighborhood.

NOLA Flora & Fauna 001 - Oak with Spanish Moss

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You don't see too many trees full of Spanish Moss any more. Maybe Katrina & Rita washed it away. This Live Oak is on Constance Street between Henry Clay & Calhoun, right by Audubon Park. The brick wall you see is the South wall of Saint Clare's Monastery. Behind the tree is the The John J. Hainkel, Jr. Home and Rehabilitation Center.

NOLA Architecture 001- Fema Trailer

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This is Uptown New Orleans in a nutshell. A house doing O.K. next to a house doing great next to a house with a FEMA trailer. Some were prepared while others weren't.