Storyville: Madams and Music
THNOC Williams Research Center 410 Chartres Street, New Orleans, Louisiana 70130
Historic New Orleans Collection
Sex, music, and dance were the hedonistic fodder that drew visitors to New Orleans’ former red-light district. Storyville: Madams and Music traces the rise and fall of the neighborhood that helped shape the notorious reputation that adheres to New Orleans today. Formed by an 1897 ordinance introduced by Alderman Sidney Story, Storyville was a legally sanctioned prostitution district located just north of the French Quarter. Pioneering musicians like Manuel “Fess” Manetta, Jelly Roll Morton, and Joe “King” Oliver experimented with new styles and techniques there, and in the same year the District closed—1917—the Original Dixieland Jazz Band released the first jazz record, Livery Stable Blues. The exhibition complements THNOC’s newest book, Guidebooks to Sin: The Blue Books of Storyville, New Orleans, the first thorough contemporary study of these rare guides. The free exhibition is on display until December 2, 2017. hnoc.org.
