Built St. Louis > > On the Road in New Orleans
Fairgrounds
Photographs from December 27-29, 2006
At the back end of Esplanade lies a convergence of public amenties: City Park, St. Louis Cemetery #3, and the New Orleans Fairgrounds Race Course.
Heading toward the lake along Esplanade, at N. Rocheblave Street.
Esplanade at N. Broad Avenue.
Views along Esplanade near Lopez Street.
The New Orleans Museum of Art, along a grand promenade at the entrance to City Park.
Below: St. Louis Cemetary #3 was founded in 1853 and exemplifies the city's long-standing tradition of above-ground burials. The practice derives from New Orleans' Catholic heritage, which in turn acquired the practice in the days of Roman vault burials. The vaults are re-used many times; the intense heat of summer essentially cremates the bodies, and the bones are pushed to the back to make room for new occupants. A minimum of one year must pass between vault openings.
Funerary mourning portraits are another long-standing New Orleans tradition.
Gentilly Boulevard, heading toward the river near St. Bernard Avenue.
Above three views: Gentilly Boulevard, just north of its intersection with N. Broad Avenue. The sharp curve, lined with aged trees and decorative double shotguns, is a startlingly picturesque moment in a portion of the city that is more given over to grand commercial boulevards.