LOUISIANA LENS: PHOTOGRAPHS FROM THE HISTORIC NEW ORLEANS COLLECTION

LOUISIANA LENS

John H. Lawrence, with a foreword by Jeff L. Rosenheim
The Historic New Orleans Collection 2023
hardcover 9″ × 11.5″
288 pp. 44 color images; 131 black and white images
ISBN 978-0-917860-91-1

Louisiana Lens: Photographs from The Historic New Orleans Collection celebrates the achievement of one of America’s leading photography curators, with works ranging from early daguerreotypes of city landmarks to born-digital photographs documenting the devastation of Hurricane Katrina. Author John H. Lawrence traces the development of photographic equipment and technical processes alongside the growth and change of New Orleans and Louisiana over nearly two centuries.

Lawrence provides an illuminating narrative for each photograph: whether offering insight into a photograph’s composition or sharing his firsthand knowledge of the photographers themselves, he brings a keen perspective honed by decades of curatorial work. In surveying these selections, Lawrence touches on themes of architecture, music, commerce, race, arts and culture, and the changing landscapes and geographies of the US South.

The author was responsible for building THNOC’s photographic collection during his four decades at the institution. This volume serves as both a capstone of Lawrence’s career and a valuable survey of Louisiana photography.