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.