New Orleans History

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. Fascinating period photographs accompany intimate and loving descriptions of the Crescent City of the thirties, capturing the mood and magic of that decade. This volume brings to life the New Orleans of the past and allows the reader to discover-or rediscover-the character of that time and place. The author's recollections will appeal to non-New Orleanians, that is, to anyone who grew up in America during the depression era. She recalls, for example, the leisurely pace of pre-television society in which radio held a powerfully unique role, as well as the headline fashions of the day and the cultural mores that now may seem quaint to many. Mary Lou Widmer, a native New Orleanian, is president of the South Louisiana Chapter of Romance Writers of America. She has written several articles for New Orleans publications, and is the author of Night Jasmine, Beautiful Crescent, and Lace Curtain. Widmer is also the author of New Orleans in the Twenties, New Orleans in the Forties, and New Orleans in the Fifties, all published by Pelican.

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. This volume in the series explores the many changes that New Orleanians and their city went through before, during, and after the trying times of World War II. Mrs. Widmer fondly remembers the forties as she examines the city socially, politically, and architecturally, and includes a look at popular fads, sports, and other entertainment that boomed during this period in history. She takes a look at the expanding suburbs of New Orleans, and the effects that the end of the war had on growth and development in areas such as Gentilly Woods and the lakefront. The book also surveys the fashions of the day, and discusses developments in science and technology, with particular attention given to television and its effect upon society.

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. Suburbs, which boomed during the forties, continued to grow in areas such as Lakeview, Gentilly, and Metairie. The Greater New Orleans Mississippi River Bridge was completed and opened up the West Bank to commerce. Families gathered around the television to watch I Love Lucy and other popular programs. The tumult of the Korean War was closely followed by the local tumult caused by the beginnings of integration. Packed with photographs and reminiscences of this important decade in the metamorphosis of New Orleans, New Orleans in the Fifties is a unique accomplishment that will interest all residents and lovers of the Crescent City. Mary Lou Widmer, a native New Orleanian, is president of the South Louisiana Chapter of Romance Writers of America. She has written several articles for New Orleans publications, and is the author of Night Jasmine, Beautiful Crescent, and Lace Curtain. Widmer is also the author of New Orleans in the Twenties, New Orleans in the Thirties, and New Orleans in the Forties, all published by Pelican.

Ironically, taming nature and the elements to build an effective and safe urban infrastructure are issues as relevant in this century as they were one hundred years ago. With the invention of the Wood screw pump in 1906, and the subsequent drainage of swampland, the New Orleans footprint expanded into the popular suburbs of Gentilly, Lakeview, and Mid-City. In praising the virtues of Lakeview real estate, a commercial home builder in 1909 said, "the drainage was excellent, the streetcars provided good service and purchases could be delivered there from the city." In her new and timely addition of her popular series, Mary Lou Widmer reminds us of turn-of-the-century life in New Orleans. Laundry chores were done on Mondays while the aroma of simmering red beans wafted from the kitchen. Modern conveniences such as electric lighting, indoor plumbing, telephones, and gas for cooking and heating civilized life, while the electric iron proved to be a housewife's dream come true. In an effort to build affordable housing for disadvantaged European immigrants, New Orleans architecture saw the birth of the shotgun house. Maison Blanche, the flagship of the shopping district, was where fashion-conscious New Orleans women outfitted themselves with the 'Gibson girl look,' or a skirt with a tango slit. The roots of women's suffrage took hold with the help of New Orleanians Caroline Merrick and Jean and Kate Gordon. Breezy waterfront amusement parks dotted Lake Pontchartrain while Storyville offered adult vices and jazz music. All of this and more is recalled as Widmer captures the flavor of New Orleans at the dawn of the twentieth century.