Preservation of
Intangible Culture and Ephemeral Culture of
New Orleans
Anthony DelRosario
Issues in Preservation
Catherine Barrier
Master in Preservation Studies
Tulane School of Architecture
1 PRST 6820 – Issues in Preservation - Catherine Barrier – May 3, 2011
Anthony DelRosario – Master in Preservation Studies - Tulane School of Architecture
If one were to ask the average American or even the average New Orleanian
what “preservation” and “New Orleans” brought to mind, common answers would
conceivably be “the French Quarter,” “the Garden District,” “the cemeteries,” and “the
streetcar.” Most people think of the built environment when thinking of preservation and
New Orleans - a Creole cottage, a shotgun double, an old bar on Bourbon Street - yet
they may not consider the intangible culture or the ephemeral man-created objects
associated with the built environment. A building creates the physical space where the
ephemeral objects can be seen or the culture can be experienced. The intangible and
the ephemeral involve non-traditional methods of preservation.
New Orleans is filled with culture that sets the city apart from anywhere else in
the United States. This culture cannot bottled or frozen in time to export
elsewhere. This unique culture may not directly depend on specific buildings in New
Orleans but relies on the interaction that the inhabitants have with the city’s built
environment. These citizens of the city are the vehicles of the important intangible
cultural heritage of New Orleans and the area.
Does this unique intangible culture of New Orleans need to be preserved? For
thousands of years, a plethora of culture from people all over the world has come and
gone, much of which has been lost to the ages. However, people that are living want to
keep alive the traditions that they know and love. This requires the active undertaking
of passing on the tradition from generation to generation. In the event that this chain of
tradition fails, preservation by documentation could be the only source of information of
the lost tradition for future generations.
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Anthony DelRosario – Master in Preservation Studies - Tulane School of Architecture
The most well known intangible culture of New Orleans is Mardi Gras and
Carnival. For the foreseeable future, the Mardi Gras tradition is not in danger of fading
away. Other than the smaller-than-usual Carnival season just after Hurricane Katrina,
the Mardi Gras heritage of the city continues to be celebrated in full
force. Documentation of Carnival is lead by several major collections in the city - the
Louisiana State Museum, the Historic New Orleans Collection, and the Louisiana
Research Collection at Tulane University. The Louisiana State Museum has been
collecting Carnival costumes since opening in 1906. The Historic New Orleans
Collection and the Louisiana Research Collection at Tulane University both collect
paper ephemera of Carnival. The original float and costume design collection at the
Louisiana Research Collection is currently being digitized. The documentation and
even the tradition Mardi Gras is supported mainly by wealthy families from New
Orleans.
Another tradition associated with Mardi Gras but less widely-known is the culture
of the Marid Gras Indians. This tradition that dates to the 1880s consists of African
Americans masking as Native Americans during Carnival. Mardi Gras Indian groups,
known as gangs, are comprised mostly of working class men that spend countless
hours throughout the entire year creating a wonderful suit of beads and feathers by
hand (Fig. 1). These men do not create the suits alone but with family and friends in a
group where the knowledge of the tradition is passed on to the younger generation (Fig.
2). This active transfer of knowledge is necessary for the continuity of the culture. In
addition to the suits, the music of the Mardi Gras Indians “influenced many New Orleans
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Anthony DelRosario – Master in Preservation Studies - Tulane School of Architecture
rhythm and blues artists of the 1950s, creating a foundation for what was to become
rock and roll.” (Harrison-Nelson)
Figure 1: Mardi Gras Indian Figure 2: next generation Mardi Gras Indian
Another way the Mardi Gras Indians keep the tradition alive is by commodifying
the culture. Many Indians are available to be hired for appearances at places such as
Jazzfest (Fig. 4), the NFL 2010 Season Kick-Off party (Fig. 3), and television
commercials for the New Orleans Hornets. Some Indians such as Darryl Montana, big
chief of the Yellow Pocahontas, rent out suits to museum to help defray cost of future
costumes. (USA Today)
Figure3: Mardi Gras Indians at NFL Kickoff Figure 4: Mardi Gras Indians at Jazzfest
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Anthony DelRosario – Master in Preservation Studies - Tulane School of Architecture
In 2005 before the flood, the Mardi Gras Indians were confronted by officers from
the New Orleans Police Department on St. Joseph’s Night, the most important night of
the Indian tradition. Officers broke up the street party at A.L. Davis Park because the
Indians did not have a parade permit. Many Indians “maintain(ed) they shouldn’t need a
permit to continue age-old traditions.” (Reckdahl) “It’s their way of declaring
themselves, for one evening, as being outside the structure of modern society.”
(Baum) Many people in the community considered this encounter a step towards
ending a long tradition. However, since then, the Indians have acquired parading
permits for their St. Joseph’s Night activities each year. Also, in 2007 the City Council
created the Second-Line and Mardi Gras Indian Cultural Preservation Task Force to
help improve relations between the Mardi Gras Indians and the New Orleans Police
Department. (Eggler)
After the disaster of Hurricane Katrina in 2005, about a third of the city’s Mardi
Gras Indians were displaced outside of New Orleans after losing their homes and
possessions. (Jervis) Those that remained plus some Indians that were able to travel to
New Orleans kept the tradition alive in New Orleans. However, for those that were
unable to return, the tradition that burns hot in their hearts but their new cities are not as
accommodating as New Orleans. Certain supplies needed for creating the suits are not
available. Also, their new home just does not have the feel of New Orleans. Big Chief
Derek McGee who was displaced in Dallas said, "If you're masking Mardi Gras Indian,
home is home (and) you can't do the true tradition unless you are on the streets of New
Orleans." (Kunian)
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Anthony DelRosario – Master in Preservation Studies - Tulane School of Architecture
In addition to the Mardi Gras Indians carrying on the tradition within their own
circles, cultural heritage education among the young can aid in keeping interest alive for
this unique culture. On the Teaching the Levees website created by the Teachers
College of Columbia University can be found a lesson plan to address this need. With
this lesson plan students:
endeavor to understand this small but important subculture of New Orleans and
assess its prospects for survival in the aftermath of Katrina. They will endeavor to
understand a unique cultural phenomenon that can shed enormous light on
African-American cultural identity. Perhaps even more importantly, they will try to
address what is at stake if such cultures – particularly cultures embraced by the
country’s least privileged citizenry – are unable to survive catastrophic events
such as Katrina. (Livingston)
The lesson plan begins with two essential questions:
• Who are the “Mardi Gras Indians” and what is their importance to New Orleans’
cultural traditions?
• In a Post-Katrina world, does it matter if groups such as the “Mardi Gras
Indians” survive? (Livingston)
The plan also includes an enrichment activity that asks the students to view the
documentary “By Invitation Only” in order to compare the Mardi Gras Indians to the all-
white krewes which are represented in the collections mentioned previously.
For many decades United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural
Organization (UNESCO) has been involved in protecting the heritage of mankind. In
2003, UNESCO created the Convention for the Safeguarding of Intangible Cultural
Heritage. The convention recognizes “that communities, in particular indigenous
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Anthony DelRosario – Master in Preservation Studies - Tulane School of Architecture
communities, groups and, in some cases, individuals, play an important role in the
production, safeguarding, maintenance and re-creation of the intangible cultural
heritage, thus helping to enrich cultural diversity and human creativity” and considers
“the need to build greater awareness, especially among the younger generations, of the
importance of the intangible cultural heritage and of its safeguarding.” (UNESCO)
According to UNESCO, for intangible cultural heritage to be truly kept alive it has
to remain pertinent to the community from which it springs, be perpetually actualized,
and be entrusted to the younger generation. The heritage should be safeguarded as
opposed to freezing in time. UNESCO emphasizes the transfer of knowledge, skills,
and meaning rather than the production of concrete outputs such as dances, songs, or
crafts. In terms of the Mardi Gras Indians, UNESCO would focus on the “how” and
“why” behind the creating of the unique suits each year instead of considering the suits
on their own. Safeguarding measures should always be created with the involvement
and consent of the community. Safeguarding of heritage by public measures without
involvement of the community is apt to skew the value of the heritage to the culture.
Decades before the adoption of the Convention for the Safeguarding of
Intangible Cultural Heritage, Japan (1950) and South Korea (1962) enacted laws to
protect intangible cultural heritage. As of 2011, the United States has not approved,
accepted, or ratified the convention. On the other hand, in February 2011 the Chinese
Legislature passed the country’s first law to protect intangible cultural heritage. The
country will focus safeguarding efforts efforts in ethnic minority and remote
areas. According to Ma Wenhui, Director of Cultural Legacy Department, Ministry of
Culture, "the enactment of the intangible cultural heritage law will help raise awareness
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Anthony DelRosario – Master in Preservation Studies - Tulane School of Architecture
among the local governments and individuals of how to better preserve their precious
cultural legacies." (Xinhua)
Another aspect of the community to be considered with non-traditional
preservation is the ephemeral entity. By their nature, ephemeral objects are not meant
to remain for many years. Examples of ephemeral culture in New Orleans are street
art, hand-painted commercial signage, and neon signs.
Street art is unsanctioned art found in public spaces. In New Orleans, street art
is a controversial issue for many. Some consider street art as nothing but vandalism
while others consider street art as true art. Fred Radtke is among those that believe
street art is vandalism. Since 1997, he and his organization Operation Clean Sweep
have been working to rid the streets of graffiti, vandalism, and street art of all
sorts. Radkte is known as the Grey Ghost because he uses grey paint to buff out all
that he considers graffiti and leaves huge grey splotches all over the city. The street
artists often use the grey splotches as a canvas and the circle begins again. Some
street art can be very detailed, such as the delicate wheatpastes done by
Swoon. Documentation with photographs is the best option for preservation of this
controversial ephemeral culture.
In 2008 world-renowned street artist Banksy created several pieces of street art
using stencils in New Orleans just before the third anniversary of Katrina (Figs. 5 &
7). These pieces provide several different examples of what can happen to ephemeral
street art. Three pieces that were done on empty houses were taken, one of which was
sold on ebay for $5700. Several were buffed or defaced, some were done by Radtke
(Fig. 6). Three have been protected by plexiglass (Fig. 8) which does preserve the
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pieces but changes the nature of the work. However, a Banksy piece can increase the
value of a building by $100,000 or more.
Figure 5: Bansky stencil Figure 6: stencil after buffing by Fred Radtke
Figure 7: Bansky stencil Figure 8: stencil after plexiglass protection
Another example of ephemeral culture in New Orleans is the hand-painted
commercial signage found on the sides of buildings. This signage can include signs
painted to announce the business within the building as well as advertisements. Today
hand-painted signage is a rare art form with the advent of cheap vinyl signs. In New
Orleans, new hand-painted signage is found mainly in African-American neighborhoods
at places such as corner stores, neighborhood bars, barber shops, tire shops, and food
trucks. The author has discovered three main painters that continue this tradition in
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Anthony DelRosario – Master in Preservation Studies - Tulane School of Architecture
these neighborhoods. Two of the artists signed their names on some signs, Lester
Carey (Figs. 9, 10, 11, 12, 13 & 20) and Pam (Figs. 17, 18, 19 & 20). The third artist,
Tom (Figs. 14, 15 & 16), was tracked down by asking business owners if they knew the
artist’s name. Most people do not consciously think much about this signage found on
the side buildings. However, the signage often features unique lettering styles and
interesting pictures that create a wonderful piece of ephemeral art. The author has
been documenting and preserving the city’s hand-painted signage with digital
photographs and creating a Facebook page called SPALC - The Society to Preserve
the Art of Lester Carey. The author has also collected some actual signs that were
found in debris piles. In addition to the signage being ephemeral, the culture of the
hand-painted signage artist is an intangible culture that is fading away and being
replaced with the vinyl sign culture.
Figure 9: Lester Carey painting at the Saint Figure 10: signage by Lester Carey
10 PRST 6820 – Issues in Preservation - Catherine Barrier – May 3, 2011
Anthony DelRosario – Master in Preservation Studies - Tulane School of Architecture
Figure 11: signage by Lester Carey Figure 12: signage by Lester Carey
Figure 13: Keilen Williams aka Shrimpman Figure 14: Tom the sign painter with Lester Carey sign
Figure 15: signage by Tom Figure 16: signage by Tom
11 PRST 6820 – Issues in Preservation - Catherine Barrier – May 3, 2011
Anthony DelRosario – Master in Preservation Studies - Tulane School of Architecture
Figure 17: corner store signage by Pam Figure 18: neighborhood bar signage by Pam
Figure 19: Mardi Gras viewing stands Figure 20: signage by both Pam and Lester Carey at Gallier Hall by Pam
Some hand-painted signage from 50 years or more ago has been unknowingly
preserved by being covered over with new side boards. Often buildings that had been a
corner store or a neighborhood bar were converted into a residence decades ago. Now
many are being renovated which reveals large hand-painted signs in very good
condition (Figs. 21 & 23). Clear-coating the signage can help protect the revealed
signage from the elements (Figs. 22 & 24).
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Anthony DelRosario – Master in Preservation Studies - Tulane School of Architecture
Figure 21: Shamrock Tavern signage before Figure 22: Shamrock Tavern signage after
Figure 23: Dixie Tavern signage before Figure 24: Dixie Tavern signage after
Another type of ephemeral hand-painted signage is the large bill-board like signs
often found on brick buildings. This signage is rarer than the signs in the African-
American neighborhoods and even the signs that are uncovered under
sideboards. Today there are just a handful of these signs remaining in the French
Quarter (Figs. 25 & 26) and the Central Business District. Preservation by
documentation with photographs is the best option as repainting one of these signs
would strip away the character or the patina that it creates.
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Anthony DelRosario – Master in Preservation Studies - Tulane School of Architecture
Figure 25: Uneed Biscuit sign Figure 26: Ginger Mint Julep sign in the French Quarter in the French Quarter
In addition to hand-painted signage, neon and electric signage can be
considered ephemeral culture. New Orleans is slowly losing its collection of wonderful
large neon and electric signs. Many have been lost to demolition of building after
Katrina such as the Fiesta Restaurant and Lounge (Fig. 27) on Lasalle. Others, such as
Piccadilly Lounge (Fig. 28), hang on buildings that sit empty. “Signs often become so
important to a community that they are valued long after their role as commercial
markers has ceased.” (Auer) Las Vegas provides an example of how preservation of
large signs can take place. The Neon Museum opened in 1996 when the horse and
rider from the Hacienda Hotel was installed on Fremont Street in downtown Las
Vegas. Currently, nine refurbished signs make up the outdoor gallery of the museum
(Fig. 29). In addition to the Fremont Street gallery, the museum has a collection of over
150 signs in the Neon Boneyard (Fig. 30) which is open for tours by advanced
appointment. If something like this were to exist in New Orleans, two main questions
would need to be asked: Where would it go? and How would it be funded?
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Anthony DelRosario – Master in Preservation Studies - Tulane School of Architecture
Figure 27: Fiesta Restaurant and Lounge (demolished) Figure 28: Piccadilly Lounge (closed)
Figure 29: Fremont St. Gallery of the Neon Museum Figure 30: Neon Boneyard
Preservation of the intangible culture of New Orleans is important in keeping the
city a vibrant, unique place. Safeguarding the intangible heritage of groups such as the
Mardi Gras Indians is vital to the city. Preservation of the ephemeral culture of New
Orleans is also important but not required to keep the city unique. Documentation by
photography is a great way to capture the changing backdrop of the city found on
commercial buildings.
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Figure 31: Lester Carey greeting Mardi Gras Indian on Super Sunday 2011
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Sources
Auer, Michael J. “Preservation Brief 25: The Preservation of Historic Signs.” National
Park Service. < http://www.nps.gov/hps/tps/briefs/brief25.htm>.
Baum, Dan. “With Words and With Pretty.” The New Yorker. March 20, 2007.
<http://www.newyorker.com/online/blogs/neworleansjournal/2007/03/with_words
_and_.html>.
Eggler, Bruce. “Second-line, Indian task force created; It will try to resolve conflicts with
police.” The Times-Picayune. December 6, 2007. Metro, pg. 1.
<http://www.lexisnexis.com>.
Harrison-Nelson, Cherice. “Guardians of the Flame: Upholding community traditions
and teaching with art in New Orleans.” In Motion Magazine. September 8, 1996.
<http://www.inmotionmagazine.com/flame.html>.
Jervis, Rick. “Mardi Gras tribes ready to suit up.” USA Today. January 10, 2008.
<http://www.usatoday.com/news/nation/2008-01-10-mardigrastribes_N.htm>.
Kunian, David. “Trail of Feathers: What to Know Before You Go.” Gambit. March 13,
2007. <http://www.bestofneworleans.com/gyrobase/trail-of-
feathers/Content?oid=1247323>.
Livingston, Ellen. “Will the Mardi Gras Indians Survive?” Teaching the Levees.
<http://www.teachingthelevees.org/?p=130>.
Reckdahl, Katy. “Mardi Gars Indians concerned about police antagonism.” The Times-
Picayune. March 8, 2010.
<http://blog.nola.com/mardigras_impact/print.html?entry=/2010/03/mardi_gras_in
dians_say_police.html>.
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United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO).
Convention for the Safeguarding of Intangible Cultural Heritage. October 17,
2003. < http://www.unesco.org/culture/ich/index.php?lg=en&pg=00022>.
Xinua. “China's first law for preserving intangible cultural heritage passed.” February 27,
2011. <http://news.xinhuanet.com/english2010/video/2011-
02/27/c_13752622.htm>.
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Image Credits
Figure 3 – Anna Benifield, awbenifield on flickr, <http://flic.kr/p/8AndNx>
Figure 4 – Mark McLellan, markmclellan on flickr, <http://flic.kr/p/6nn5tm>
Figure 23 – Preservation Resource Center, Advocacy Dpt., <http://flic.kr/p/9iez5C>
Figure 25 – tweeker0108 on flickr, <http://flic.kr/p/5zUqyB>
Figure 26 – rosefirerising on flickr, <http://flic.kr/p/FaLLP>
Figure 29 – Las Vegas News Bureau, <http://www.lvcva.com>
All other photographs were taken by the author.
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