Masking and Madness: Mardi Gras in New Orleans [Hardcover]

Kerri McCaffety (Author), Cynthia Reece McCaffety (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: December 2001

The dazzling masquerade of New Orleans' Mardi Gras opens its arms wide, dances, and flaunts, full colour and full page, in this book. McCaffety takes the art of portrait photography to North America's biggest costume party. A photographer with an anthropology degree who has recorded cultures all over the world, she returns to her hometown to capture the spirit of New Orleans' masquerade with a sharp wit, fresh vision, and profound sensitivity. The celebration in the streets, with a backdrop of lace-iron balconies and old oaks, combines with stark portraits of costumed citizens photographed in a Royal Street courtyard-turned-studio on Fat Tuesday. Accompanying the parade of images, a wry introduction by Cynthia Reece McCaffety explains the history behind this tradition of costuming and indulgence that goes back thousands of years. Winner of the 2003 Gold Benjamin Franklin Award from Publisher's Marketing Association, "Masking & Madness: Mardi Gras In New Orleans" is the only book devoted to the costumes of Carnival, a luminous portrait of the celebration that defines America's most profanely spiritual city, by New Orleans' preeminent photographer. Over 170 photographs capture the stunning spectrum of Mardi Gras, New Orleans style.

Editorial Reviews

Review

...Masking and Madness reveals Carnival's essence. McCaffety has captured not only the look but the spirit of Mardi Gras. -- Reid Mitchell, writer, October 2001

...a profound sense of beauty, ...a true apprehension of the social, historical, and even mythological context of everything she sees. -- Tom Piazza , author

Another great, spirited book. Of all the books I saw this year, Masking had the most life, the most humanity. -- Independent Publisher's Association President Jim Barnes

Humorous, telling, and resplendent, Masking and Madness readily captures the memorable (and sometimes haunting) whimsy of Mardi Gras costumes. -- Rodney Stevens, Charleston Daily News Online, March 2002

Kerri's work is lush with natural light ... sensual and rich, transforms the places she photographs into poems. -- Francis Ford Coppola , director and writer

MASKING is a rich mix of pictures ... a wonderful array of portraits that convey humanity's deep-seated need for frivolity. -- John Sledge, Mobile Register, March 202

Through her pen and camera, McCaffety has captured the essence of the diversity ... that makes New Orleans so unique. -- Bloomsbury Review, 2002

[I consider] McCaffety a genius. Her works are destined to become pillars of Louisiana's cultural record. Indeed already are. -- Eric J. Brock, Forum News, Spring 2003

From the Publisher

The dazzling masquerade of New Orleans’ Mardi Gras opens its arms wide, dances, and flaunts, full color and full page, in Kerri McCaffety’s MASKING AND MADNESS.

McCaffety takes the art of portrait photography to North America’s biggest costume party. A photographer with an anthropology degree who has recorded cultures all over the world, she returns to her hometown to capture the spirit of New Orleans’ masquerade with a sharp wit, fresh vision, and profound sensitivity.

The celebration in the streets, with a backdrop of lace-iron balconies and old oaks, combines with stark portraits of costumed citizens photographed in a Royal Street courtyard-turned-studio on Fat Tuesday. Accompanying the parade of images, a wry introduction by Cynthia Reece McCaffety explains the history behind this tradition of costuming and indulgence that goes back thousands of years.

Think "Jane Goodall goes to Mardi Gras and Annie Leibovitz takes the pictures" —The result is a grand documentary of humanity at its liveliest.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Hardcover: 176 pages
• Publisher: Vissi D'arte Books (December 2001)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0970933614
• ISBN-13: 978-0970933614
• Product Dimensions: 10 x 10 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.6 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #267,997 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #39 in Books > Politics & Social Sciences > Holidays

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

12 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Catch a glorious eyeful of Mardi Gras with the McCaffetys, January 2, 2003

By 

Rae Schwarz "post-modern Renaissance woman" (Seattle, WA United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Masking and Madness: Mardi Gras in New Orleans (Hardcover)

Get a front row seat at Mardi Gras with Kerri McCaffety's MASKING AND MADNESS. This vivid collection of photographs is centered around portraits taken during Mardi Gras 2001, peppered with mixed shots from other years visits. The beauty of Mardi Gras is that it is all about showing off and being seen, a perfect natural subject for photography.

The calm muted portrait background of McCaffety's photo booth provides a blessed quiet space where all manner of characters can shine in all their secret-persona-glory-revealed! Makeup, masks, sequins, glitter, tulle, stripes, spots, spangles, and beads, beads, and more beads! From whimsical to "what the heck?", McCaffety catches it for the just needed moment of capture so it can be shared here.

If you'd rather skip the crowds, pull up a chair and relax with the masking and the madness in this book.