New Orleans has held fascination ever since early visitors first observed this exotic and remakrable city.

In letters and journals of the 18th and 19th centuries, visitors to the city found it strange and intriguing – their descriptions, full of awe for its unusual lifestyle and distinctive customs.

This book gives a glimpse into those unique qualities, through the authors’ artistic photographs, historic paintings and drawings, and memorable tales about the city’s colorful citizens and traditions.

New Orleans is presented, from a tiny colony among the alligators, through the wealthy Golden Age of legend, to its colorful personality of today.

Illustrations and stories reveal its mysterious past of Voodoo, pirates, dueling and decadence, its elegant, time worn architecture, its inspired artistry of Jazz, its Creole food and famous restaurants, and the annual revelry of Mardi Gras… plus the city’s countless other excuses for celebrations.

In addition to photographs and historical insights, this book can serve as a guide to the city, whether the reader is exploring on foot, or settled in a favorite easy chair.

128 pages – 2nd Edition – 2009