Tulane University Special Collections

This we’re looking back on some of the summer jobs students have taken over the years! ☀️ 🕶️☀️
From laying new turf in the stadium to processing papers in the archives, students have found many ways to keep busy through the long New Orleans summer.

Pictured 📷:
Students working summer jobs- new turf, undated, University Archives

Students working summer jobs- archives, undated, University Archives

Students working summer jobs- auto mechanic, undated, University Archives

For our Monday Sneak Peek into what our researchers are requesting, we looked through some of the interesting ephemera in the Lyle Saxon papers.

Saxon (1891-1946) was a journalist and author of fiction and nonfiction relating primarily to historical Louisiana and New Orleans. He was associated with the literary circle of the French Quarter throughout the early twentieth century.

Pictured 📷:
Painted sketch of a reclining woman by Muriel Moore, 1927, Lyle Saxon papers, LaRC-4

Three watercolor sketches of a woman in various poses, artist unknown, date unknown, Lyle Saxon papers, LaRC-4

Cutout print of the St. Charles Hotel, originally drawn and engraved for the Southern Ladies’ Book, undated, Lyle Saxon papers, LaRC-4

Handmade “Get Well” card addressed to Lyle Saxon, undated, Lyle Saxon papers, LaRC-4

Romantic postcard, undated, Lyle Saxon papers, LaRC-4

Sepia selections from today’s Monday Sneak Peek into what our researchers are exploring this week 👀

Pictured 📷:
Mounted print of the Musson Residence, Esplanade Avenue, undated, attributed to Theodore Lilienthal, photographer. Louisiana Architecture Photographs, SEAA-097

Mounted print of the French Opera House, Bourbon Street, interior, undated, photographer unidentified. Louisiana Architecture Photographs, SEAA-097

Matted print (conserved in 2014), foot of Baronne Street, 1864, Reverend C. Booker, photographer. Louisiana Architecture Photographs, SEAA-097

Matted print of the second St. Charles Hotel, undated, J.D. Edwards, photographer. Louisiana Architecture Photographs, SEAA-097

Matted print of the Robb residence, Washington Avenue and Camp Street, undated, J.D. Edwards, photographer. Louisiana Architecture Photographs, SEAA-097

“Florals? For spring? Groundbreaking” 💐

Today, we’re featuring illustrations from the Stella Henriques collection that would surely pass Miranda Priestly’s inspection!

Henriques studied painting, drawing, design, and sculpture at Louisiana State University, graduating with her Bachelor of Fine Arts in 1973 and Master of Fine Arts in 1975.

She went on to work as a fashion illustrator for two New Orleans department stores before moving to New York City where she continued her art.

Pictured:
Various illustrations by Stella Henriques, c. 1982, Stella Henriques designs, LaRC-727

We're celebrating the 2026 with a look back through TUSC’s collections:

• Ernie K-Doe greets an audience, 1976, photo by Mark J. Sindler, Louisiana Image Collection LaRC-1081

• Dancers, 1976, photo by Mark J. Sindler, Louisiana Image Collection LaRC-1081

• Mahalia Jackson and the Eureka Brass Band in Beauregard Square at the inaugural Jazz Fest, April 23, 1970, photographer unidentified, Laurraine Goreau collection HJA-059

• Louisiana Heritage Fair Stage 5, with band featuring Danny Barker (banjo), Blue Lu Barker (vocals), and Frank Naundorf (trombone), 1974, photographer unidentified, Mina Lea Crais collection HJA-060

• Posters for 1973 evening concerts featuring April 13 headliners B.B. King and the Staple Singers, and April 14 headliner Stevie Wonder, Hogan Archive poster and calendar collection HJA-095

• Food booth, photographer unidentified, Tulane Jambalaya, 1979

• Fairview Baptist Church Band with Grand Marshall Darriel Harris and band, 1973, photo by Michael P. Smith, Robert Palmer collection HJA-027

It’s time for our Monday sneak peek! 👀 This week, our researchers are covering a wide range of subjects, from the stage to the railway and beyond. 🚂

Pictured:
Tipitina’s posters, ca. 2000-2002, Hogan Archive poster and calendar collection, HJA-095

Issue of the Railway Clerk journal and advertisement, 1912, Railroad documents collection, LaRC-526

Photographs of oil tankers in Logtown, Mississippi, 1945, Louisiana Image Collection, LaRC-1081

Heading into the evening with a look back at Earth Day celebrations of decades past! 🌍

Pictured:
Students participating in Earth Day cleanup activities, photograph, 1970, University Archives

Article about Tulane Earth Day presentations, Tulane Hullabaloo, April 24, 1970, University Archives

Cartoon in the Fifth Cornice, a publication of the Ecology Center of Louisiana, December, 1970, LaRC Ephemera collection

Earth Week Extravaganza flyer, the Ecology Center of Louisiana, 1972, LaRC ephemera collection

Earth Day pamphlet printed on recycled paper, 1990, LaRC ephemera collection

Now open for research: The David Elliott Draper collection on Mardi Gras Indians (HJA-113)

Containing field recordings, photographs, and research compiled by David Elliott Draper for his 1973 Tulane dissertation, the archival collection documents Mardi Gras Indian culture in the early 1970s, including members of the Black Eagles, Golden Arrows, Golden Eagles, and Wild Magnolias.

Discovered by Draper’s family in 2024 and later donated to TUSC, the materials were preserved and digitized to support long-term access. Leaders of the Mardi Gras Indian and Black Masking Indian tribes represented in the collection were also able to access the digitized materials prior to publication.

Explore the digital collection featuring recordings digitized from reel-to-reel and cassette tapes, photographs digitized from negatives, research notes, and related materials: libguides.tulane.edu/DigitalCollections/MardiGrasIndians-1970s

It’s time for our Monday sneak peek into what our researchers are exploring this week! 👀 From linocuts to architectural details and cookbook illustrations, these materials highlight the intersection of craft and design across different contexts.

Pictured:
Linocut portraits of author Lafcadio Hearn on Japanese paper, date unknown, Collection of Materials on Lafcadio Hearn, LaRC-446

Details for Maurice Heymann residence, Lafayette, LA., 1937, N.W. Overstreet and A.H. Town, architects, pencil on tracing paper. A. Hays Town Office, SEAA-061

Join Tulane University Special Collections (TUSC) at GenFest 2026, a genealogy celebration presented by and .

This FREE, public event features regional archives and special collections, libraries, museums, and genealogical, historical, cultural, and preservation organizations.

🗓 Saturday, April 11
🕥 10:00 AM–4:00 PM
📍 Milne Recreation Center (5420 Franklin Ave)

Stop by the TUSC table to:
🔍 Learn about genealogical & archival research
💬 Chat with our staff
🎁 Grab a FREE button (yes, these 👆🏽)

More info: nolacityarchives.org/genfest