Arts & Culture: Mardi Gras in New Orleans

Laissez les Bons Temps Rouler!: Mardi Gras Memorabilia

Mardi Gras (Fat Tuesday) and the Carnival that accompanies it are celebrated around the world, but no other festivities rival those held in New Orleans.  The full spectrum of Mardi Gras - parades, masquerade balls, parties - has been taking place in New Orleans since the early 1700s, and the memorabilia from these celebrations is very collectible today.  Of course, you can find beautiful masks, but most of the material centers around the krewes and their activities.   Krewes hold the various balls and parades associated with the festivities, and memorabilia from some of the oldest krewes is especially desirable.  Krewe favors, like a silk scarf or a number of jeweled pins, are lovely, but the gorgeous ephemera, like a proclamation for a Mardi Gras king, or the beautiful invitation (pictured above) to a ball that's reminiscent of illuminated manuscripts make it clear that the good times have been rolling in New Orleans for a long, long time! 

Want to see more antique Mardi Gras memorabilia?  Visit our database, p4A Antiques Reference, to find some exquisite examples of past Mardi Gras fun and pageantry.

There are many, many websites devoted to New Orleans' Mardi Gras celebrations, but these two are the most comprehensive and the most accurate.

A sampling of books in our collection.