New Orleans: Elegance and Decadence (Hardcover)

by Richard Sexton (Author), Randolph Delehanty (Author) "New Orleans exists because it lies athwart the shortcut between the Gulf of Mexico and the Mississippi River that allowed water traffic to bypass the..." (more)
Key Phrases: New Orleans, Mardi Gras, French Quarter (more...)

Editorial Reviews

From Library Journal
This is a beautiful introduction to the multicultural art and architecture of the "Crescent City," the cognomen given to the city nestled along a tight bend of the Mississippi River. In this introductory history, the reader is familiarized with many new terms reflecting the multiethnic complexity of the local population. The combination of African, French, and Anglo-American immigrants formed a unique Creole culture that has produced its own music, cuisine, art, and architecture, displayed superbly in a vast variety of photographs. We are taken through interiors and enclaves, stopping in the homes and studios of several contemporary artists. The influence of French Impressionism is juxtaposed with modern New Orleans funk art, and we are struck by Catholic religious art permeating the cultural revelry of the city's famous parades. This book will entice anyone to visit New Orleans and will serve as pleasant reflection for those who have.
- Bruce Alan Hanson, Wayzata East J . H.S. Lib., Minn.
Copyright 1994 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Product Description
The lush, seductive, nostalgic elegance of New Orleans' streets, parks, and public buildings, as well as the fanciful, nuanced interiors of some of its most beautiful private home and gardens, are insightfully revealed in this comprehensive photographic homage to the "Venice of North America." 200 full-color photos.

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 224 pages
• Publisher: Chronicle Books (September 1, 1993)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0811800741
• ISBN-13: 978-0811800747
• Product Dimensions: 1 x 1 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars See all reviews (22 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #644,145 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

15 of 15 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Delight for the Senses, December 24, 1999

By	Laurie L Watson (Dallas, Texas) - See all my reviews

As a frequent visitor and sometimes resident of NOLA, I had never found a book that truly captured the local heart of the city and its people...until I received this book. It is a feast for the eyes with its glorious photos. Similarly, its writing--done by a New Orleanian--is refreshing and honest. Everyone I know in New Orleans owns a copy of this book. I love it. I revisit it freqently. It never bores me.

14 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars An Elegant New Orleans Edition...just as the title suggests!, January 24, 2001

By	Shannon L. Yarbrough "Shannon L. Yarbrough" (St. Louis, MO USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

I first came across this book in the french market area near the river while I was visiting New Orleans for the second time. Slightly overpriced for the tourists, I decided to wait until I arrived home to find it cheaper at a local bookstore. It's a beautiful hardbound book with a cloth-covered spine that now sits in an easel at the top of my bookshelf. I have enjoyed it tremendously. Tons of history, and even more fabulous pictures. For any lover of "the big easy." Treat yourself to this book, and don't forget to take a look at part 1, Vestiges of Grandeur. The two make excellent coffee table books for anyone, and all of your guests will certainly spend hours thumbing through them.

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars If New Orleans could be captured in a book, this is it., July 1, 1999

By A Customer

Just returned from my fifth trip to the Crescent City and miss it already. I flipped through this book at a shop there and knew I would buy it as soon as I got home. In photographs and words, this is an evocation of New Orleans by two people who obviously love the place. Go with it and you'll be transported! New Orleans isn't perfect, but it is fascinating, unique, and exotic, which this book appreciates and shows off.