Rex, 1901
Photographs by Cornelius Durkee

Cornelius Durkee, station master at Saratoga Springs, New York, visited New Orleans during Carnival, 1901 and photographed the Lundi Gras and Mardi Gras festivities. He sailed with Rex down the Mississippi as he made his triumphant entry among his subjects at the foot of Canal Street, caught the Rex floats as they emerged from their den and headed to the parade route, and he mingled with the crowds along St. Charles Avenue and at Lee Circle as they waited for Rex to appear. These photographs offer a rare glimpse into the pageantry and reality of Mardi Gras a century ago. The complete Durkee Collection is available online HERE.

Rex | Comus | Proteus | Nereus | Momus | Elves of Oberon | Atlanteans | Twelfth Night Revelers | Mithras
Cornelius Durkee's Photographs of the Rex Parade of 1901
Introduction