Preservation of Intangible Culture and Ephemeral Culture of New Orleans

Anthony DelRosario Issues in Preservation Catherine Barrier Master in Preservation Studies Tulane School of Architecture

PRST 6820 Issues in Preservation - Catherine Barrier May 3, 2011

If one were to ask the average American or even the average New Orleanian what preservation and New Orleans brought to mind, common answers would conceivably be the French Quarter, the Garden District, the cemeteries, and the streetcar. Most people think of the built environment when thinking of preservation and New Orleans - a Creole cottage, a shotgun double, an old bar on Bourbon Street - yet they may not consider the intangible culture or the ephemeral man-created objects associated with the built environment. A building creates the physical space where the ephemeral objects can be seen or the culture can be experienced. The intangible and the ephemeral involve non-traditional methods of preservation. New Orleans is filled with culture that sets the city apart from anywhere else in the United States. This culture cannot bottled or frozen in time to export elsewhere. This unique culture may not directly depend on specific buildings in New Orleans but relies on the interaction that the inhabitants have with the citys built environment. These citizens of the city are the vehicles of the important intangible cultural heritage of New Orleans and the area. Does this unique intangible culture of New Orleans need to be preserved? For thousands of years, a plethora of culture from people all over the world has come and gone, much of which has been lost to the ages. However, people that are living want to keep alive the traditions that they know and love. This requires the active undertaking of passing on the tradition from generation to generation. In the event that this chain of tradition fails, preservation by documentation could be the only source of information of the lost tradition for future generations.

Anthony DelRosario Master in Preservation Studies - Tulane School of Architecture

PRST 6820 Issues in Preservation - Catherine Barrier May 3, 2011

The most well known intangible culture of New Orleans is Mardi Gras and Carnival. For the foreseeable future, the Mardi Gras tradition is not in danger of fading away. Other than the smaller-than-usual Carnival season just after Hurricane Katrina, the Mardi Gras heritage of the city continues to be celebrated in full force. Documentation of Carnival is lead by several major collections in the city - the Louisiana State Museum, the Historic New Orleans Collection, and the Louisiana Research Collection at Tulane University. The Louisiana State Museum has been collecting Carnival costumes since opening in 1906. The Historic New Orleans Collection and the Louisiana Research Collection at Tulane University both collect paper ephemera of Carnival. The original float and costume design collection at the Louisiana Research Collection is currently being digitized. The documentation and even the tradition Mardi Gras is supported mainly by wealthy families from New Orleans. Another tradition associated with Mardi Gras but less widely-known is the culture of the Marid Gras Indians. This tradition that dates to the 1880s consists of African Americans masking as Native Americans during Carnival. Mardi Gras Indian groups, known as gangs, are comprised mostly of working class men that spend countless hours throughout the entire year creating a wonderful suit of beads and feathers by hand (Fig. 1). These men do not create the suits alone but with family and friends in a group where the knowledge of the tradition is passed on to the younger generation (Fig. 2). This active transfer of knowledge is necessary for the continuity of the culture. In addition to the suits, the music of the Mardi Gras Indians influenced many New Orleans

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PRST 6820 Issues in Preservation - Catherine Barrier May 3, 2011

rhythm and blues artists of the 1950s, creating a foundation for what was to become rock and roll. (Harrison-Nelson)

Figure 1: Mardi Gras Indian

Figure 2: next generation Mardi Gras Indian

Another way the Mardi Gras Indians keep the tradition alive is by commodifying the culture. Many Indians are available to be hired for appearances at places such as Jazzfest (Fig. 4), the NFL 2010 Season Kick-Off party (Fig. 3), and television commercials for the New Orleans Hornets. Some Indians such as Darryl Montana, big chief of the Yellow Pocahontas, rent out suits to museum to help defray cost of future costumes. (USA Today)

Figure3: Mardi Gras Indians at NFL Kickoff

Figure 4: Mardi Gras Indians at Jazzfest

Anthony DelRosario Master in Preservation Studies - Tulane School of Architecture

PRST 6820 Issues in Preservation - Catherine Barrier May 3, 2011

In 2005 before the flood, the Mardi Gras Indians were confronted by officers from the New Orleans Police Department on St. Josephs Night, the most important night of the Indian tradition. Officers broke up the street party at A.L. Davis Park because the Indians did not have a parade permit. Many Indians maintain(ed) they shouldnt need a permit to continue age-old traditions. (Reckdahl) Its their way of declaring themselves, for one evening, as being outside the structure of modern society. (Baum) Many people in the community considered this encounter a step towards ending a long tradition. However, since then, the Indians have acquired parading permits for their St. Josephs Night activities each year. Also, in 2007 the City Council created the Second-Line and Mardi Gras Indian Cultural Preservation Task Force to help improve relations between the Mardi Gras Indians and the New Orleans Police Department. (Eggler) After the disaster of Hurricane Katrina in 2005, about a third of the citys Mardi Gras Indians were displaced outside of New Orleans after losing their homes and possessions. (Jervis) Those that remained plus some Indians that were able to travel to New Orleans kept the tradition alive in New Orleans. However, for those that were unable to return, the tradition that burns hot in their hearts but their new cities are not as accommodating as New Orleans. Certain supplies needed for creating the suits are not available. Also, their new home just does not have the feel of New Orleans. Big Chief Derek McGee who was displaced in Dallas said, "If you're masking Mardi Gras Indian, home is home (and) you can't do the true tradition unless you are on the streets of New Orleans." (Kunian)

Anthony DelRosario Master in Preservation Studies - Tulane School of Architecture

PRST 6820 Issues in Preservation - Catherine Barrier May 3, 2011

In addition to the Mardi Gras Indians carrying on the tradition within their own circles, cultural heritage education among the young can aid in keeping interest alive for this unique culture. On the Teaching the Levees website created by the Teachers College of Columbia University can be found a lesson plan to address this need. With this lesson plan students: endeavor to understand this small but important subculture of New Orleans and assess its prospects for survival in the aftermath of Katrina. They will endeavor to understand a unique cultural phenomenon that can shed enormous light on African-American cultural identity. Perhaps even more importantly, they will try to address what is at stake if such cultures particularly cultures embraced by the countrys least privileged citizenry are unable to survive catastrophic events such as Katrina. (Livingston)

The lesson plan begins with two essential questions: Who are the Mardi Gras Indians and what is their importance to New Orleans cultural traditions? In a Post-Katrina world, does it matter if groups such as the Mardi Gras Indians survive? (Livingston)

The plan also includes an enrichment activity that asks the students to view the documentary By Invitation Only in order to compare the Mardi Gras Indians to the allwhite krewes which are represented in the collections mentioned previously. For many decades United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) has been involved in protecting the heritage of mankind. In 2003, UNESCO created the Convention for the Safeguarding of Intangible Cultural Heritage. The convention recognizes that communities, in particular indigenous

Anthony DelRosario Master in Preservation Studies - Tulane School of Architecture

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communities, groups and, in some cases, individuals, play an important role in the production, safeguarding, maintenance and re-creation of the intangible cultural heritage, thus helping to enrich cultural diversity and human creativity and considers the need to build greater awareness, especially among the younger generations, of the importance of the intangible cultural heritage and of its safeguarding. (UNESCO) According to UNESCO, for intangible cultural heritage to be truly kept alive it has to remain pertinent to the community from which it springs, be perpetually actualized, and be entrusted to the younger generation. The heritage should be safeguarded as opposed to freezing in time. UNESCO emphasizes the transfer of knowledge, skills, and meaning rather than the production of concrete outputs such as dances, songs, or crafts. In terms of the Mardi Gras Indians, UNESCO would focus on the how and why behind the creating of the unique suits each year instead of considering the suits on their own. Safeguarding measures should always be created with the involvement and consent of the community. Safeguarding of heritage by public measures without involvement of the community is apt to skew the value of the heritage to the culture. Decades before the adoption of the Convention for the Safeguarding of Intangible Cultural Heritage, Japan (1950) and South Korea (1962) enacted laws to protect intangible cultural heritage. As of 2011, the United States has not approved, accepted, or ratified the convention. On the other hand, in February 2011 the Chinese Legislature passed the countrys first law to protect intangible cultural heritage. The country will focus safeguarding efforts efforts in ethnic minority and remote areas. According to Ma Wenhui, Director of Cultural Legacy Department, Ministry of Culture, "the enactment of the intangible cultural heritage law will help raise awareness

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PRST 6820 Issues in Preservation - Catherine Barrier May 3, 2011

among the local governments and individuals of how to better preserve their precious cultural legacies." (Xinhua) Another aspect of the community to be considered with non-traditional preservation is the ephemeral entity. By their nature, ephemeral objects are not meant to remain for many years. Examples of ephemeral culture in New Orleans are street art, hand-painted commercial signage, and neon signs. Street art is unsanctioned art found in public spaces. In New Orleans, street art is a controversial issue for many. Some consider street art as nothing but vandalism while others consider street art as true art. Fred Radtke is among those that believe street art is vandalism. Since 1997, he and his organization Operation Clean Sweep have been working to rid the streets of graffiti, vandalism, and street art of all sorts. Radkte is known as the Grey Ghost because he uses grey paint to buff out all that he considers graffiti and leaves huge grey splotches all over the city. The street artists often use the grey splotches as a canvas and the circle begins again. Some street art can be very detailed, such as the delicate wheatpastes done by Swoon. Documentation with photographs is the best option for preservation of this controversial ephemeral culture. In 2008 world-renowned street artist Banksy created several pieces of street art using stencils in New Orleans just before the third anniversary of Katrina (Figs. 5 & 7). These pieces provide several different examples of what can happen to ephemeral street art. Three pieces that were done on empty houses were taken, one of which was sold on ebay for $5700. Several were buffed or defaced, some were done by Radtke (Fig. 6). Three have been protected by plexiglass (Fig. 8) which does preserve the

Anthony DelRosario Master in Preservation Studies - Tulane School of Architecture

PRST 6820 Issues in Preservation - Catherine Barrier May 3, 2011

pieces but changes the nature of the work. However, a Banksy piece can increase the value of a building by $100,000 or more.

Figure 5: Bansky stencil

Figure 6: stencil after buffing by Fred Radtke

Figure 7: Bansky stencil

Figure 8: stencil after plexiglass protection

Another example of ephemeral culture in New Orleans is the hand-painted commercial signage found on the sides of buildings. This signage can include signs painted to announce the business within the building as well as advertisements. Today hand-painted signage is a rare art form with the advent of cheap vinyl signs. In New Orleans, new hand-painted signage is found mainly in African-American neighborhoods at places such as corner stores, neighborhood bars, barber shops, tire shops, and food trucks. The author has discovered three main painters that continue this tradition in

Anthony DelRosario Master in Preservation Studies - Tulane School of Architecture

PRST 6820 Issues in Preservation - Catherine Barrier May 3, 2011

these neighborhoods. Two of the artists signed their names on some signs, Lester Carey (Figs. 9, 10, 11, 12, 13 & 20) and Pam (Figs. 17, 18, 19 & 20). The third artist, Tom (Figs. 14, 15 & 16), was tracked down by asking business owners if they knew the artists name. Most people do not consciously think much about this signage found on the side buildings. However, the signage often features unique lettering styles and interesting pictures that create a wonderful piece of ephemeral art. The author has been documenting and preserving the citys hand-painted signage with digital photographs and creating a Facebook page called SPALC - The Society to Preserve the Art of Lester Carey. The author has also collected some actual signs that were found in debris piles. In addition to the signage being ephemeral, the culture of the hand-painted signage artist is an intangible culture that is fading away and being replaced with the vinyl sign culture.

Figure 9: Lester Carey painting at the Saint

Figure 10: signage by Lester Carey

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Figure 11: signage by Lester Carey

Figure 12: signage by Lester Carey

Figure 13: Keilen Williams aka Shrimpman with Lester Carey sign

Figure 14: Tom the sign painter

Figure 15: signage by Tom

Figure 16: signage by Tom

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Figure 17: corner store signage by Pam

Figure 18: neighborhood bar signage by Pam

Figure 19: Mardi Gras viewing stands at Gallier Hall by Pam

Figure 20: signage by both Pam and Lester Carey

Some hand-painted signage from 50 years or more ago has been unknowingly preserved by being covered over with new side boards. Often buildings that had been a corner store or a neighborhood bar were converted into a residence decades ago. Now many are being renovated which reveals large hand-painted signs in very good condition (Figs. 21 & 23). Clear-coating the signage can help protect the revealed signage from the elements (Figs. 22 & 24).

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Figure 21: Shamrock Tavern signage before

Figure 22: Shamrock Tavern signage after

Figure 23: Dixie Tavern signage before

Figure 24: Dixie Tavern signage after

Another type of ephemeral hand-painted signage is the large bill-board like signs often found on brick buildings. This signage is rarer than the signs in the AfricanAmerican neighborhoods and even the signs that are uncovered under sideboards. Today there are just a handful of these signs remaining in the French Quarter (Figs. 25 & 26) and the Central Business District. Preservation by documentation with photographs is the best option as repainting one of these signs would strip away the character or the patina that it creates.

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Figure 25: Uneed Biscuit sign in the French Quarter

Figure 26: Ginger Mint Julep sign in the French Quarter

In addition to hand-painted signage, neon and electric signage can be considered ephemeral culture. New Orleans is slowly losing its collection of wonderful large neon and electric signs. Many have been lost to demolition of building after Katrina such as the Fiesta Restaurant and Lounge (Fig. 27) on Lasalle. Others, such as Piccadilly Lounge (Fig. 28), hang on buildings that sit empty. Signs often become so important to a community that they are valued long after their role as commercial markers has ceased. (Auer) Las Vegas provides an example of how preservation of large signs can take place. The Neon Museum opened in 1996 when the horse and rider from the Hacienda Hotel was installed on Fremont Street in downtown Las Vegas. Currently, nine refurbished signs make up the outdoor gallery of the museum (Fig. 29). In addition to the Fremont Street gallery, the museum has a collection of over 150 signs in the Neon Boneyard (Fig. 30) which is open for tours by advanced appointment. If something like this were to exist in New Orleans, two main questions would need to be asked: Where would it go? and How would it be funded?

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Figure 27: Fiesta Restaurant and Lounge (demolished) Figure 28: Piccadilly Lounge (closed)

Figure 29: Fremont St. Gallery of the Neon Museum Figure 30: Neon Boneyard

Preservation of the intangible culture of New Orleans is important in keeping the city a vibrant, unique place. Safeguarding the intangible heritage of groups such as the Mardi Gras Indians is vital to the city. Preservation of the ephemeral culture of New Orleans is also important but not required to keep the city unique. Documentation by photography is a great way to capture the changing backdrop of the city found on commercial buildings.

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Figure 31: Lester Carey greeting Mardi Gras Indian on Super Sunday 2011

Anthony DelRosario Master in Preservation Studies - Tulane School of Architecture

PRST 6820 Issues in Preservation - Catherine Barrier May 3, 2011

Sources
Auer, Michael J. Preservation Brief 25: The Preservation of Historic Signs. National Park Service. < http://www.nps.gov/hps/tps/briefs/brief25.htm>.

Baum, Dan. With Words and With Pretty. The New Yorker. March 20, 2007. <http://www.newyorker.com/online/blogs/neworleansjournal/2007/03/with_words _and_.html>.

Eggler, Bruce. Second-line, Indian task force created; It will try to resolve conflicts with police. The Times-Picayune. December 6, 2007. Metro, pg. 1. <http://www.lexisnexis.com>.

Harrison-Nelson, Cherice. Guardians of the Flame: Upholding community traditions and teaching with art in New Orleans. In Motion Magazine. September 8, 1996. <http://www.inmotionmagazine.com/flame.html>.

Jervis, Rick. Mardi Gras tribes ready to suit up. USA Today. January 10, 2008. <http://www.usatoday.com/news/nation/2008-01-10-mardigrastribes_N.htm>.

Kunian, David. Trail of Feathers: What to Know Before You Go. Gambit. March 13, 2007. <http://www.bestofneworleans.com/gyrobase/trail-offeathers/Content?oid=1247323>.

Livingston, Ellen. Will the Mardi Gras Indians Survive? Teaching the Levees. <http://www.teachingthelevees.org/?p=130>.

Reckdahl, Katy. Mardi Gars Indians concerned about police antagonism. The TimesPicayune. March 8, 2010. <http://blog.nola.com/mardigras_impact/print.html?entry=/2010/03/mardi_gras_in dians_say_police.html>.

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United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). Convention for the Safeguarding of Intangible Cultural Heritage. October 17, 2003. < http://www.unesco.org/culture/ich/index.php?lg=en&pg=00022>.

Xinua. China's first law for preserving intangible cultural heritage passed. February 27, 2011. <http://news.xinhuanet.com/english2010/video/201102/27/c_13752622.htm>.

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Image Credits
Figure 3 Anna Benifield, awbenifield on flickr, <http://flic.kr/p/8AndNx> Figure 4 Mark McLellan, markmclellan on flickr, <http://flic.kr/p/6nn5tm> Figure 23 Preservation Resource Center, Advocacy Dpt., <http://flic.kr/p/9iez5C> Figure 25 tweeker0108 on flickr, <http://flic.kr/p/5zUqyB> Figure 26 rosefirerising on flickr, <http://flic.kr/p/FaLLP> Figure 29 Las Vegas News Bureau, <http://www.lvcva.com>

All other photographs were taken by the author.

Anthony DelRosario Master in Preservation Studies - Tulane School of Architecture