Staff Favorites: Exploring the Treasures of the City Archives & Special Collections

October is American Archives Month. In honor of the occasion, our City Archives & Special Collections staff dug out some of their favorite treasures.

Christina Bryant: Annual reports, City Newsletters, and Neighborhood Associations

Christina is the director of the City Archives & Special Collections, where she’s been working for the past 12 years. Choosing any one item from the Archives was a difficult task, but when pressed Christina’s favorite three collections are annual reports from city agencies, newsletters from city agencies, and materials from various neighborhood associations.

Christina Bryant - Annual Reports
City Archives & Special Collections Director Christina Bryant's favorite Archives materials are annual reports from City Agencies. "I like these because they give you a snap shot of what the City and its various agencies were doing in any given year."
Christina Bryant - Annual Reports
City Archives & Special Collections Director Christina Bryant's favorite Archives materials are annual reports from City Agencies. "I like these because they give you a snap shot of what the City and its various agencies were doing in any given year."
Christina Bryant - Annual Reports
City Archives & Special Collections Director Christina Bryant's favorite Archives materials are annual reports from City Agencies. "I like these because they give you a snap shot of what the City and its various agencies were doing in any given year."
Christina Bryant - Newsletters from City Agencies
"There was a period in time where many City Agencies had their own newsletters. These are just a few from Civil Service, the Library and NOPD. They capture the people who made this City run and often show what their lives were like outside of work. They celebrated birthdays, marriages children and even talked about vacations in these pages. "
Christina Bryant - Newsletters from City Agencies
"There was a period in time where many City Agencies had their own newsletters. These are just a few from Civil Service, the Library and NOPD. They capture the people who made this City run and often show what their lives were like outside of work. They celebrated birthdays, marriages children and even talked about vacations in these pages."
Christina Bryant - Neighborhood Collections
Christina Bryant is working on an ongoing project to spotlight the city's neighborhood associations. "New Orleans loves its neighborhoods and many neighborhood associations help to shape and preserve these parts of the City."

Brittanny Silva: Sandborn Maps, Mugshots & Bertillon Cards, Library Book Embossers

Brittanny is a librarian and archivist and has been working for the Library for about nine years, and with the Archives for eight. As a native New Orleanian, Brittanny loves feeling connected to the city’s history through her work.

“I get to put my hands on that history every day and share its importance with my community. I also learn something new about our collection, our government, and our city all the time, so that is always a plus.”

Some of her favorite items in the City Archives & Special Collections include the Sandborn Maps, which were created to assess insurance values and property liabilities; Mugshots and Bertillon Cards, an identification process that predates the mugshot, and a book embosser from the New Orleans Public Library’s Ephemera Collection.

“This is a really cool artifact from the library’s past. Staff would stamp each book in the collection with “New Orleans Public Library.” We still have books in our collection with this stamp on them, and it’s always on page 55. I don’t know the significance of that number, but I do love the consistency,” Brittanny said.

Brittanny - Sandborn Maps
These are maps created by the Sanborn Fire Insurance company to assess property liabilities in metropolitan areas. They show what structures were made of, what they were used for, and record updates and changes to the physical structures as well. Digital versions available with an NOPL card through 1950s. "Sanborn Maps are one of my favorite resources in the Archives. They are essentially scrapbooks of the past. You can track changes made to physical structures and the overall neighborhood over time."
Brittanny - Sandborn Maps closeup 2
These are maps created by the Sanborn Fire Insurance company to assess property liabilities in metropolitan areas. They show what structures were made of, what they were used for, and record updates and changes to the physical structures as well. Digital versions available with an NOPL card through 1950s. "Sanborn Maps are one of my favorite resources in the Archives. They are essentially scrapbooks of the past. You can track changes made to physical structures and the overall neighborhood over time."
Brittanny - Sandborn Maps closeup
These are maps created by the Sanborn Fire Insurance company to assess property liabilities in metropolitan areas. They show what structures were made of, what they were used for, and record updates and changes to the physical structures as well. Digital versions available with an NOPL card through 1950s. "Sanborn Maps are one of my favorite resources in the Archives. They are essentially scrapbooks of the past. You can track changes made to physical structures and the overall neighborhood over time."
Brittanny - Mugshots and Bertillon Cards 1
"These cards track arrests in New Orleans from the late 1800s through the 1920s. The cards include basic information about the arrested person, and also detailed physical descriptions, which was the basis of the (now defunct) Bertillon Card system. They tell an important story of municipal attitudes towards induvial behaviors, and document the history of policing in New Orleans."
Brittanny - Mugshots and Bertillon Cards 3
"These cards track arrests in New Orleans from the late 1800s through the 1920s. The cards include basic information about the arrested person, and also detailed physical descriptions, which was the basis of the (now defunct) Bertillon Card system. They tell an important story of municipal attitudes towards induvial behaviors, and document the history of policing in New Orleans."
Brittanny - Mugshots and Bertillon Cards 4
"These cards track arrests in New Orleans from the late 1800s through the 1920s. The cards include basic information about the arrested person, and also detailed physical descriptions, which was the basis of the (now defunct) Bertillon Card system. They tell an important story of municipal attitudes towards induvial behaviors, and document the history of policing in New Orleans."
Brittanny - Book Punch 1
"This is a really cool artifact from the library's past. Staff would stamp each book in the collection with "New Orleans Public Library." We still have books in our collection with this stamp on them, and it's always on page 55. I don't know the significance of that number, but I do love the consistency!"
Brittanny Book Punch 4
"This is a really cool artifact from the library's past. Staff would stamp each book in the collection with "New Orleans Public Library." We still have books in our collection with this stamp on them, and it's always on page 55. I don't know the significance of that number, but I do love the consistency!"
Brittanny - Book Punch 2
"This is a really cool artifact from the library's past. Staff would stamp each book in the collection with "New Orleans Public Library." We still have books in our collection with this stamp on them, and it's always on page 55. I don't know the significance of that number, but I do love the consistency!"
Brittanny Book Punch 5
"This is a really cool artifact from the library's past. Staff would stamp each book in the collection with "New Orleans Public Library." We still have books in our collection with this stamp on them, and it's always on page 55. I don't know the significance of that number, but I do love the consistency!"

Amy DeNisco: L’Escargot Noel and Letter of Complaint

Amy is a librarian and has been working at the New Orleans Public Library for eight years. For the last two years, she’s been part of the City Archives & Special Collection team. Two of her favorite items include a 1979 invitation to the Vieux Carré Commission’s annual Christmas party, and a series of letters that she found in Mayor Robert S. Maestri’s collection.

“I love how archival research so often involves discovering one mystery and then pulling on its threads to learn more,” Amy said.

Amy - Christmas Snail 1
"In 1979 the Vieux Carré Commission sent out this invitation to their annual Christmas party. It was printed on purple construction paper, and inside tells the legend of the Christmas Snail. I enjoy finding these moments of levity amidst other records in the Archives; I think that they help to humanize our records by reminding us that they were all created by real people."
Amy - Christmas Snail 2
"In 1979 the Vieux Carré Commission sent out this invitation to their annual Christmas party. It was printed on purple construction paper, and inside tells the legend of the Christmas Snail. I enjoy finding these moments of levity amidst other records in the Archives; I think that they help to humanize our records by reminding us that they were all created by real people."
Amy - Letter of Complaint
"This is a series of letters that was filed with Mayor Robert S. Maestri's collection. It starts with a resident of the French Quarter complaining to the Vieux Carré Commission about their neighbor's poultry processing facility across the street buying additional property, it is escalated by the Commission to the Mayor, and the Health Department is also brought into the matter. After reading these letters I was able to follow the chain of title on the properties and look up city directory entries. Although the property was bought by the poultry facility 5 years after this complaint, the site was still listed as "vacant" in the directory 2 years later. I love how archival research so often involves discovering one mystery and then pulling on its threads to learn more."
Amy - Letter of Complaint 2
"This is a series of letters that was filed with Mayor Robert S. Maestri's collection. It starts with a resident of the French Quarter complaining to the Vieux Carré Commission about their neighbor's poultry processing facility across the street buying additional property, it is escalated by the Commission to the Mayor, and the Health Department is also brought into the matter. After reading these letters I was able to follow the chain of title on the properties and look up city directory entries. Although the property was bought by the poultry facility 5 years after this complaint, the site was still listed as "vacant" in the directory 2 years later. I love how archival research so often involves discovering one mystery and then pulling on its threads to learn more."
Amy - Letter of Complaint 3
"This is a series of letters that was filed with Mayor Robert S. Maestri's collection. It starts with a resident of the French Quarter complaining to the Vieux Carré Commission about their neighbor's poultry processing facility across the street buying additional property, it is escalated by the Commission to the Mayor, and the Health Department is also brought into the matter. After reading these letters I was able to follow the chain of title on the properties and look up city directory entries. Although the property was bought by the poultry facility 5 years after this complaint, the site was still listed as "vacant" in the directory 2 years later. I love how archival research so often involves discovering one mystery and then pulling on its threads to learn more."

Greg Osborn: 1868 Civil Court Record

Greg has been working at the New Orleans Public Library for 28 years, most of which were spent in the Archives department. This American Archives Month, Greg is highlighting an 1868 court record from the Fifth District Court of Orleans Parish case between a wife named Charlotte Dozarie Osborn and her husband Justin Bernard.

Beyond being related to the defendant, Greg said he finds court records fascinating because they “offer a unique window into a person’s financial status or more personal set of circumstances, especially if letters or testimony is included in a civil or criminal case.”

This case involves Charlotte taking over her marital funds which she feared that her husband was squandering (at least, not doing well with them). She has her sister, Geraldine and her father Daniel Clark Osborn that she, Charlotte, is more than capable of handling her own financial affairs. 

Greg - Civil Court Case
This American Archives Month, Greg is highlighting an 1868 court record from the Fifth District Court of Orleans Parish case between a wife named Charlotte Dozarie Osborn and her husband Justin Bernard.
Greg Civil Court Case
This American Archives Month, Greg is highlighting an 1868 court record from the Fifth District Court of Orleans Parish case between a wife named Charlotte Dozarie Osborn and her husband Justin Bernard.
Greg Civil Court Case
This American Archives Month, Greg is highlighting an 1868 court record from the Fifth District Court of Orleans Parish case between a wife named Charlotte Dozarie Osborn and her husband Justin Bernard.

The Library’s City Archives & Special Collections department is located at Main Library (219 Loyola Ave.) The Archives serves as the official repository for the records of the New Orleans city government and is charged with preserving, organizing, and providing equitable access to municipal records transferred to the City Archives’ collection.

The Archives were originally established in 1773 by the Spanish Government. In addition, the City Archives & Special Collections also preserves collections important to understanding the history of the City and how it has impacted local government. The department’s extensive Genealogy Collection contains books, periodicals and microfilms with emphasis on New Orleans, Louisiana, the Southeast United States, France, and Spain.

To learn more about the Archives, their collections and materials, and to schedule an appointment, visit nolacityarchives.org.

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