New Orleans 2015 Calendars from Saint James Infirmary Books

New Orleans 2015 Calendars are now available.  Check out this unique tour of the city of New Orleans.
The first of our New Orleans Calendars feature some very different looks at the French Quarter.  New Orleans is known for its lamp posts, and we usually see them photographed at night.  But you can't miss them during the day either.  They are everywhere you look.  We thought it would be fun to focus on them this year.

Our second calendar this year focuses on the exposed brick of the French Quarter.  We love the brilliantly painted facades of the Vieux Carré, but we also can't help but notice all of the exposed, often heavily weathered brickwork that adds depth to the French Quarter views.

Just click on the links below to get your calendar.  We hope you enjoy them!

French Quarter Stroll

Royal Street

French Quarter, New Orleans, Louisiana

A perfect day in the French Quarter is easy to experience.  Even in the heat of a late summer day it is relaxing to stroll along these small and colorful streets.  Summer can be a slow time for the tourist business here and some shops were just reopening after a few renovations in preparation for the coming Halloween season.  Fresh paint covered many of the historic facades, in some places, the painters were still brushing on colors as approved by the Vieux Carré Commission, the city planning board dedicated to preserving the historic appearance of this village within a city.  Crisp, new flags seemed to hang from every other balcony.  Expectancy charged the air.  I had the feeling that tourist buses were already loaded and crossing the Lake Pontchartrain Causeway, their arrival mere minutes away.

I always love to see all of this activity in the Quarter.  Mornings are especially fun.  Delivery vans fill the streets, shops are opening up, streets are washed down, there is a brisk, sometimes hectic combination of tradesmen getting to work on whichever project is on the day's schedule.  This is the face of the French Quarter that most tourists miss as they sleep in from a late night of partying.  But it is the time I enjoy the most in this little corner of the world.

Don't get me wrong.  The streets weren't empty.  And a few street artists were out to entertain those of us enjoying the afternoon.  As you can see, construction is always underway here, even when there isn't a wall to support a ladder.  This hard worker is determined to get that first two by four nailed in place.  I've always thought he should start at the bottom.  But He seems to know what he is doing.  And in case you weren't familiar with this demonstration, be assured that ladder is not bolted down to the stone.  

Be sure to carry a pocketful of one dollar bills for the street artists.  Jackson Square wouldn't be Jackson Square without the playful tunes of a dixieland band.  And these entertainers aren't paid by the city.  They will do their utmost to entertain, they won't be shy about asking for donations and if they see you dropping a little something in the bucket they are quick to voice their appreciation.  

It was here on Jackson Square that I helped out an older couple from Manchester, England.  You can always find a pair like this, taking that single shot with a camera when what they really want is a photograph with both of them in it.  After helping them get a few photos in front of the Cathedral I talked with them a little while.  It was their third trip to New Orleans.  It was just a few days before Scotland voted on the question of independence from Great Britain.  They were hoping the Scots would stay in the Union.  They could see no advantage to either Scotland or England if Scotland went their own way.  I'm sure they were happy to read the news from across the pond today when it was announced that Scotland had chosen to keep Britain unified.

If you head over to Canal Street (which is technically outside of the French Quarter) glance up at the lamp posts that flank the street cars.  There is some nice detail work between the lamps.  But what you'll also see are plenty of beads hanging around from Mardi Gras.  Some of them will be covered in beads, and some will have only a few.  This one I captured has just the one strand, seemingly laid carefully to match the design.

At St. Charles and Canal Streets, if you're patient, you'll see one of the historic St. Charles street cars pass its modern cousin, the Canal street car.  That's the one you'll want to catch if you want a ride over to the Garden District.  (Even better than the Garden District is Lafayette Cemetery Number Two.  The St. Charles street car  will take you to both places.)

Not every house in the French Quarter has been freshly painted.  And I'm glad.  It adds to the charm of this place.  It helps us to remember that we aren't walking down a street in Disney World, where everything has been engineered for our entertainment.  It helps us remember that this village will be three hundred years old in just four years from now.  It has stood up to the winds and rains of uncounted hurricanes, the changing politics of the Spanish, the French, and the Americans, and it will be here long after the tourists pack up and leave at the end of this coming season.  It is, after all, a living neighborhood where its residents work and play and go about their everyday lives.

A Summer's View of the French Quarter

The French Quarter, New Orleans.
A Jazz Band tries to cool things down in Jackson Square.

The French Quarter, New Orleans.  It is known for its Mardi Gras and Halloween celebrations.  Yet, for those of us who are fortunate enough to be able to visit it throughout the year, we know there is more to this very unique city than her festivals.  This week, I took a walk around the Vieux Carré and thought I would highlight a few of the sights you might see if you take a July vacation in the Big Easy.

Right away, when you get to Jackson Square, you're gonna find someone, or some group, playing jazz.  It won't always be Dixie Land jazz, but you can be sure it's cool, hot, sweet, and spicy.  You'll usually find them out in front of the Café du Monde, or between Jackson Square and the St. Louis Cathedral.  In the picture above, I found this group in front of the Cabildo.  That's Café Pontalba behind them, which is one of the best places to eat some gumbo, red beans and rice, fried alligator, and jambalaya.  (That last item is my favorite.)  If you look closely, you'll notice that not all of the bands have traditional instruments.  This one has an honest-to-goodness broom guitarist.  You've got to hear him to believe it.  He'll sweep you away.  He can really kick up some dust with that baby.

Speaking of the Cabildo, here you can see that in July, the flowers are in bloom, including the bougainvillea, shrub roses, and especially those on the crape myrtles, which are a Louisiana specialty.

The Cabildo was built by the Spanish in the 1790's.  Aside from being the home to the Spanish government, it was also the site of the Louisiana Purchase transfer in 1803, once the New Orleans City Hall, the Louisiana State Supreme Court (which saw the landmark Plessy vs. Ferguson decision in 1896), and was used as a prison before it eventually became the Louisiana State Museum in 1908.

Not far from the Cabildo, which is on the right hand side of Saint Louis Cathedral, you'll find Orleans Street, which runs into the backyard of the cathedral, connecting Royal Street, the home of so many art galleries and antique shops, with Bourbon Street, the home of so many bars and strip clubs.

In July, the heat can be pretty rough.  While I was there, it was not bad in the shade.  As you'll notice, even the cigar shop Indian is wise enough to hang back in the shade on the banquette.  (The raised sidewalks in the French Quarter are called this because way back when, the small blocks were called islands, which led the French people in town to call the sidewalks banquettes, as in the banks along a shore.)

Speaking of the heat, if you need a place to get out of the sun, most of the hotels in the Quarter have these little passages that lead to their courtyards.  It is in these courtyards where you'll find respite from the midday sun where there is lots of shade, and more often than not, the cooling presence of a fountain.  

During my walk, it wasn't hot enough to seek out shelter.  Though I must admit those fountains looked terribly inviting.

In July, you'll get to see the splendor and variety of the houses in the Vieux Carré.  So many of the homes in this area are gaily painted to reflect the traditional decor associated with this French-influenced American neighborhood.  And many of them are kept in perfect condition, despite the damaging effects of the sub-tropical heat and the near constant high humidity.  There's also the effects of tropical storms and hurricanes to consider as well.  So with all of these elements attacking the wood, you'll find that there are many shutters and doors which have been mistreated.  However, I am always glad the residents don't repair every one of these at the same time.  They add such a wonderful flavor to the Quarter.  It would be a shame if every home there looked perfect.

My purpose for this day was to keep searching for shots to use for my calendars for 2014.  I am never sure which is better, the older, run-down look of the Quarter, or the fresher, painted, restored sections.  I really couldn't choose one over the other.  They're both inspiring in their own way.

But if you're looking for perfect, or at least something close to it, you'll find plenty of homes that will catch your eye.  Here, on Dumaine Street, just north of Dauphine Street, I was intrigued by the colorful display of paint along with the flags waving in the summer breeze.  How delightful it must be to live in such a colorful and cheerful home.

Not far from here I sat down to rest on a stoop and chatted with Louis, a photographer from New York, who was taking a break in the shade.  Though born and bred in New York City, he was down in New Orleans for the coming Fourth of July festivities.  We shared the shade and a little companionship before I moved on in search of more targets for my camera.

Because it was July, and many of the northern tourists did not realize it was actually a pleasant day (by local standards), many of them felt the best way to see the Quarter was to take a ride in the shade of a carriage awning.  You'll find plenty of carriages awaiting you on the south side of Jackson Square.  The drivers/guides will be more than happy to drive you around, dishing out as many legends and myths as you're willing to swallow.  The indefatigable mules, either a Jack or a Jenny, will pull you along, no matter the heat.  The clip-clop of their hooves is often the only sound you'll hear on the lesser traveled streets at noon.  Everyone else is inside a restaurant eating great food and having a few drinks.  (But easy on the drinks in the hot weather, okay?)

Now if you've seen enough of the Quarter, or you just plan to hit it later in the day, you can always grab a ride on the steamboat Natchez.  

Using steam engines built in 1925, the Natchez, one of only a few steamboats still plying the waters of the Mississippi today, will take you on a two hour trip along the river.  Leaving every day from the Toulouse Street wharf behind the Jax Brewery, the Natchez takes you down around the bend of the river past the Chalmette battleground.  Along the way you'll learn a little bit of history about the Mississippi and enjoy a cool breeze up on the top deck.

And when the cruise is over, you don't even have to walk back to your hotel.  The Toulouse Streetcar station is nearby, and so are a few guys willing to peddle you home in their pedicabs.  But if you can stand to walk just a little, I always suggest heading back to Jackson Square so you can grab a milkshake at Stanley.  Trust me on that one.  They're the best!

I'll leave you with a little tune from the Natchez, as played on their steam-powered calliope.  We filmed this as we were heading back to the car.  Look closely and you'll see the man standing at the organ.  Yes, they really do play it live.  It is not a computer programmed calliope, as I had once thought it was.

Use these links for 2014 calendars featuring my photography from New Orleans:

French Quarter Balconies Calendars by jreeser1

New Orleans' French Quarter Calendar by jreeser1

Also, you might enjoy this wrapped canvas photograph of Central Grocery.



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