New Orleans Then and Now

by Richard Campanella, Marina Campanella

Many more, however, have been painstakingly and caringly preserved for generations. St. Louis Cathedral, the Cabildo, and the French Market stand as they have for centuries. Meanwhile, other, more recent constructions, like the Louisiana Superdome, have drastically altered not only their surroundings but New Orleans as a whole. Following in the tradition of Pelican's award-winning New Orleans Architecture series, New Orleans Then and Now offers readers a glimpse of some of the most renowned and impressive architectural marvels of the city-tragedies and triumphs intact.

Genres: Nonfiction, History

400 pages, Hardcover

First published October 1, 1999

Reviews

[Dan · Rating 4 out of 5]

It is ironic that the city saluted its most famous son by destroying a portion of the old neighborhood in which jazz evolved and replacing it with unseemly berms and bridged lagoons. Nevertheless, preservationists have come a long way since the 1950s, and the days of unanswered destruction of the city’s physical heritage are largely, though not entirely, over. The threats of fire, Formosan termites, and deterioration, however, still loom, reminding us that the wisteria-veiled ruins and sagging galleries that make New Orleans so mysterious and endearing also make it a city out of equilibrium, under siege, living on borrowed time. Or perhaps it is this sense of impending doom that mystifies and endears the city to so many.

Richard and Marina Campanella’s New Orleans Then and Now is an insightful view of geographical and architectural change over the course of a century. Comparing street scenes of the past with how they currently look reveals astonishing similarities and differences. The Campanellas provide detailed captions for all pictures, guiding the reader through the progress and regress of New Orleans urban development between the 1850s and today. The pictures and captions show the ongoing struggle between urban development and historical preservationists. Mysterious “fires” and free-floating “non-preservation” areas continually crop up, allowing contractors to raze structures for another gleaming skyscraper or hotel.

The only issue I have with this book is it pre-dates the impact of Hurricane Katrina. Since the Campanellas spend a majority of the book on the French Quarter and Central Business District—steering clear of the infamous “9th Ward” for the most part—there is a possibility the areas focused on within this book are likely unchanged. Be aware, though, the latest photographs of New Orleans are from 1998.

This is an excellent document for anyone who has walked the streets of New Orleans. After reading this book, I am more appreciative of the cityscape’s schizophrenic nature, more aware that what one considers “European and quaint” may or may not be exactly that, that historical treasures are still extant though unnoticed.

[Sean Chick · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is ultimately a very depressing book. New Orleans must have once been a true architectural gem. Instead it is now dominated by the hideous modern style. Thank god for the Vieux Carre commission.

[Leslie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Every page of this book is a joy. The closest we’ll get to time travel. Loved every minute of this read!