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Walking Tours of Old New Orleans is an essential guide for anyone who wants to wander along the narrow streets of New Orleans' Vieux Carré and view its historic buildings, its verdant patios, and its flagged courtyards. With this book as a guide, readers will be able to inspect the wrought- and cast-iron railings that line the balconies of centuries-old Creole homes and gain an understanding of their authentic histories.
In his landmark work, Stanley Clisby Arthur reveals the truth about the many colorful legends of the Old Square. As he writes, he relives the social life, traditions, history, romances, and intrigues of Old Creole days. With Arthur's book as a guide, readers may saunter down
rue Royale, Bourbon, Chartres, St. Peter, Toulouse, St. Louis, Dumaine, or other quaint streets and enter into what seems to be a curious Old World city of bizarre color and customs. Arthur utilizes the roots of words related to the city to illuminate historic facts about the founding of New Orleans and traditions such as Mardi Gras.
Walking Tours of Old New Orleans is more than a guidebook. A fascinating description of all the places of interest in the French Quarter, it offers an authentic history of the original city and gives insight into the old town's traditions and romantic past.
Cover illustrations: Lafitte's Blacksmith Shop
About the author
A native of California, Stanley Clisby Arthur spent several years as a journalist as well as a war correspondent in the Philippines during the Spanish-American War. Arthur arrived in Louisiana in 1915 and came to view it as his adopted home, dedicating much of his life to documenting its customs, culture, and history. According to the introduction to Walking Tours of Old New Orleans, Arthur's greatest talent lay in his ability to delve into neglected historical sources and give life to the facts within. Arthur was the head of the Louisiana Fish and Wildlife Department for many years. His love of the outdoors is reflected in his novel about naturalist John Audubon, titled Audubon: An Intimate Life of the American Woodsman . During the Great Depression, Arthur was appointed regional director of the Survey of Federal Archives. This allowed him to delve even more deeply into the history of New Orleans and Louisiana, and he published several more historical works. Stanley Clisby Arthur died in 1963 at the age of eighty-eight.
