Do Not Open: The Discarded Refrigerators of Post-Katrina New Orleans

by Katheryn Krotzer Laborde

When the floodwaters that swamped New Orleans finally receded in September 2005, the post-Hurricane Katrina recovery began. One of the most common sights was the discarded home refrigerator, perched on the curb and ready for disposal. For months, thousands upon thousands of ruined refrigerators still awaited pick-up. Many had messages scribbled with markers or blurted with spray paint, rendered by owners and passersby alike, ranging from practical to sentimental, the angry to the darkly humorous. This book, featuring hundreds of black-and-white photographs, presents the communiques that transformed appliances into message boards, and explores the post-disaster environment that inspired their creation.

260 pages, Paperback

First published August 24, 2010

Reviews

[Katheryn Laborde · Rating 5 out of 5]

thought it was terrific! :>)

[Rachel Van · Rating 5 out of 5]

A photo essay on the curbside refrigerators that followed Katrina would be fascinating enough, but Laborde doesn't stop there - the book has more context and eyewitness accounts of life before and after the storm than most others I've read. An engaging and approachable angle to an event that everyone should learn a little at least a little more about.

[Lynn Alspach · Rating 5 out of 5]

Gives the appropriate mental state of the city after Hurricane Katrina. Some despair, some humor and a lot of hard truth. It also gives an accurate timeline of how long it took to take them away and the dangers of possibly meeting hundreds of maggots if not taking heed.

[Bunny · Rating 3 out of 5]

Didn't actually read the text. The pictures are pretty good, though.