• City Archives Series With No Formal Finding Aids (1833-1987)
  The link above will take you to an inventory of records series in the City Archives for which no formal finding aids currently exist.

• Early Records (1760-1861)
  The link above will take you to finding aids for all
  municipal records held in the City Archives prior to 1862.

• Mayors of New Orleans
  
• Subdivisions of the Mayor's Office
  
• City Council
• City Council Members

• Boards and Commissions
  
  • Alcoholic Beverage Control Board
    
  • Arts Council of New Orleans
    
  • Edward Wisner Donation
    
• City Charter
  
• Chief Administrative Office
  
• City Employees
  
• Financial Administration
  
• Law Department
  
• New Orleans Fire Department
  
• New Orleans Public Library
  
• Planning and Zoning
  
• Police Departments
  
• Public Health
  
• Public Markets
  
• Public Property, Public Works and Public Buildings
  
• Department of Public Safety
  
• Sewerage and Water Board
  
• Department of Safety and Permits
  
• Department of Utilities

Established by the Spanish rulers of Louisiana in 1769, the City Archives has remained together as a collection and has been added to regularly since coming under the Library's administration in 1946. Today the City Archives comprises more than 1200 manuscript volumes, more than 3500 cubic feet of unbound documents, and sizable collections of maps, architectural drawings, photographs, videotapes, and sound recordings.

Findng Aids are available below for all processed collections. Information about printed City Documents can be found in the Library's online catalog.

Please review our Research Guide for instructions on requesting records.

Microfilmed records in the City Archives are available for in-house use during regular hours. Records not yet on microfilm are available by appointment only.

See also:
Orleans Parish Courts Finding Aids & Indexes
Orleans Parish Finding Aids & Inventories

• Records, 1862-1920
• Incoming Correspondence, 1804-1892
• Records of Mayor John Fitzpatrick, 1892-1896
• Mayor Walter C. Flower, Incoming Correspondence, 1897-1900
• Records of Mayor Paul Capdevielle, 1900-1904
• Records of Mayor Martin Behrman, 1904-1920; 1925-1926
• Records of Mayor Andrew J. McShane, 1920-1925
• Records of Mayor Arthur J. O'Keefe, 1926-1929
• Records of Mayor T. Semmes Walmsley, 1929-1936
• Records of Mayor Robert S. Maestri, 1936-1945
• Records of Mayor deLesseps S. Morrison, 1946-1961
• Records of Mayor Victor H. Schiro, 1950-1970
• Records of Mayor Moon Landrieu, 1970-1978
• Records of Mayor Ernest N. Morial,1977-1986
• Records of Mayor Sidney J. Barthelemy, 1986-1994
• Records of Mayor Marc H. Morial,1994-2002
• Records of Mayor C. Ray Nagin, 2002-2010

• Public Relations Office, Film Footage, 1946-1971
• Boards and Commissions Records, 1958-1970
• Casino Tax Advisory Committee Records, 2000
• Records of the Human Relations Committee, 1967-1979
• Office of Policy Planning and Analysis, Central Files, ca. 1973-1979
• Records of Volunteers in Government of Responsibility (VIGOR), 1974-1986
• Records of the Criminal Justice Coordinating Council/Office of Criminal Justice Coordination.
  • Resource documents, 1972-1986
• Office of Economic Development
  • Almonaster-Michoud Industrial District Records, 1980-1984
  • Hitcom Records, 1984-1988
  • Records, 1978-1986
  • Restoration Tax Abatement Records, 1983-1989
  • Office of Business and Industrial Development Records, 1978-1987 [bulk 1987]
• Records of the Office of Environmental Affairs, 1979-1996
• Division of Intergovernmental Relations. Boards and Commissions Files, 1985-1997
• Records of the Executive Assistant for Intergovernmental Relations, 1994-1996
• Records of the Mayor's Task Force on City-Owned Cemeteries, 1995-1996.
• Economic Development Fund Grant Applications, 1996
• Records of the New Orleans Building Corporation, 2000- .
• Community Action Center. Miscellaneous Files, 1984-1992
• City Demonstration Agency. Records, c. 1969-1975
• Community Improvement Agency. Office Files, 1969-1976
• Piazza d'Italia Project Records, ca. 1976-1982
• Mayor's Office of International Relations Records, 1955-1959, 1961-1973 [bulk 1955-1969]
• Duncan Plaza Project Files, 1979-1981

• Records of Commissioner Thomas M. Brahney, 1946-1954
• Records of Commissioner Lionel G. Ott, 1946-1964 (bulk 1946-1953)
• Records of District C Councilman/Councilman-at-Large James E. Fitzmorris, 1954-1966
• Records of District A Councilman Henry B. Curtis, 1957-1970
• Records of District D Councilman/Councilman-at-Large John J. Petre, 1961-1969
• Records of District E Councilman Daniel L. Kelly, 1962-1966
• Records of Councilman-at-Large Joseph V. DiRosa, 1962-1966; 1970-1978
• Records of District "E" Councilmen, 1966-1987
• Records of District D Councilman John D. Lambert, 1970-1971
• Records of District A Councilman Frank Friedler, 1974-1980
• Records of District B Councilman Abraham Lincoln Davis, 1975-1978
• Records of Councilman-at-Large Joseph I. Giarrusso, 1976-1994
• Records of Councilmember-at-Large Dorothy Mae Taylor, 1977-1994
• Records of Councilmember-at-Large Sidney J. Barthelemy, 1978-1986
• Records of District C Councilmember Mike Early, 1978-1990
• Records of District A Councilmember Bryan Wagner, 1980-1983
• Records of District A Councilmember/Councilmember-at-Large Peggy Wilson, 1986-1998
• Records of District C Councilmember/Councilmember-at-Large Jacquelyn B. Clarkson, 1990-1994; 2007-2014
• Records of District B Councilmember Oliver Thomas, 1994-1996
• Records of District A Councilmember Troy A. Carter, 1994-2002
• Records of District "D" Councilmen, 1994-2005
• Records of Councilmember-At-Large Arnold D. Fielkow, 2005-2012
• Records of Councilman James Carter James Carter, 2006-2010
• Records of District A Councilmember Shelley S. Midura, 2006-2010
• Records of Councilmember-At-Large Eric Granderson, 2011-2012
• Records of District C Councilmember Kristen Gisleson Palmer, 2010-2014

• Inventory of the letters, petitions and decrees of the New Orleans Cabildo, the New Orleans Conseil Municipal and the New Orleans Conseil de Ville, 1770-1835
• Official Proceedings, 1866-2007
• Zoning Dockets, 1942-2003 [bulk 1954-2003]
• Petitions before the Council, 1905-1909
• Miscellaneous Correspondence/Subject Files, 1916-1928
• Records of the Special Citizens Investigating Committee, 1953-1963
• Sales Tax Investigation Records, 1988
• Records of the Clerk of Council's Office
  • Miscellaneous Files, 1929-2000 [bulk 1955-1996]
  • Withdrawn ordinances
• Records of the Council Fiscal Office
  • Records, 1977-1996
  • Records relating to the monitoring of subrecipients of federal funds from the City of New Orleans, 1999-2001
• Records relating the the regulation of public utilities.
  • Filings by Entergy New Orleans, Inc. and Entergy Louisiana, Inc., 1997 --
  • Utility regulatory records, 1956-1995
  • Records relating to New Orleans Public Service, Inc. (NOPSI)/Louisiana Power and Light Co. (LP&,L), 1978-1986.
  • In the matter of ex parte application of New Orleans Public Service, Inc. for an increase of its electric rates, Docket #CD-85-1, 1986-1999
  • In the matter of Louisiana Power and Light Company for an increase in retail electric rates, Docket #CD-86-11, 1988
  • Application of New Orleans Public Service, Inc. for an increase in its rates and charges for gas services (Docket #UD-91-1), 1991-1993
  • Ex parte application of New Orleans Public Service, Inc. and Louisiana Power & Light Co. concerning Least Cost Integrated Resource Planning (Docket #UD-92-2A and #UD-92-2B), 1993-1996
• Records of the Council Research Office
  • Records, 1970-1996
  • Correspondence/Subject Files, 1970-1995
  • Correspondence/Subject Files (Addendum), 1992-1996
  • CRS Files, 1987-1996
  • Index to CRS Files, 1984-1992
  • "Stray" CRS Files, 1970-1995
  • Miscellaneous Records, 1977-1980s
  • Bed and breakfast records, 1990
  • Records relating to access to polling places by handicapped persons, 1985-1990.
  • Records relating to the New Orleans Home Mortgage Authority, 1978-1986
• Records of the Council Utilities Regulatory Office
  • Miscellaneous documents (primarily relating to NOPSI buyout), 1980-1991

• Records of the Alcoholic Beverage Control Board, 1960-1998
• Records of the Arts Council of New Orleans, 1975-2000
• Records of the Edward Wisner Donation, 1971-2003

Back to the top

• Subject/Correspondence Files, 1955-1971
• Capital Projects Files, 1961-1980 (bulk 1970-1976)
• Economic statistical materials, 1991-2000
• Records of the Federal Programs Division, 1968-1983.
• Records, 1986-1989.
• Correspondence, 1990-1994
• Records of Chief Administrative Officer Marlin N. Gusman, 1994-2000
• Records of Chief Administrative Officer Cedric S. Grant, 1999-2001 [bulk 2000-2001]
• Records of Deputy Chief Administrative Officer Cedric S. Grant, 1994-2001

• Records of the Department of City Civil Service and the Civil Service Commission
  • Records relating to privatization of the Sewerage and Water Board of New Orleans, 1999-2001.
• Records of the Employees' Retirement System of the City of New Orleans

• Correspondence/subject files, 1880-1946.
• Records of the Assistant City Attorney, 1954-1964.

• Records of the Charter Committee for the City of New Orleans, 1950-1952

• Record of payroll warrants issued, 1868-1873
• Records of the Metropolitan Police District of New Orleans, 1869-1883 [bulk 1869-1877]
• Arrest records, 1881-1966.
• Rosters, ca. 1882-1946
• Homicide reports, 1893-1947.
• Correspondence and Reports, 1899-1913 [bulk 1910-1913]
• Transcripts of statements of witnesses to homicides, 1930-1945.
• Clippings, 1944-1946.
• Correspondence regarding fugitives, 1946-1964.

• Monthly Fire Reports, 1900-1976
• Records, 1978-1984

• City Insane Asylum
  • Record of Patients, 1882-1884; 1888
  • Record of Next of Kin, 1875-1877
• Department of Police and Public Buildings. Registers of Indigent Insane, 1888-1912
• New Orleans Health Department.
  • Records, 1898-1996
  • Correspondence/Subject Files, 1949-1995

• Correspondence/subject files of the Commissioner of Public Finance, 1913-1950.
• Board of Assessors.
  • Tax Assessment Rolls, 1856-1975
  • Water Craft record book, 1929-1932
• Board of Liquidation, City Debt.
  • New Orleans Municipal Bonds--Samples, 1928-1980
  • Official Statements of Bond Issues, 1976-

• Department of Police and Public Buildings.
  • In-coming correspondence, 1882-1910 [bulk 1900-1903]
• Records of the New Orleans Union Passenger Terminal, 1948-1996.
• Records of the Department of Public Property, 1912 -1947 [bulk 1925-1929]
  • Records of the Division of Public Works, 1912-1929.
  • Records of the Division of Public Buildings, 1914-1922.
• House of Detention.
  • Record of the release or transfer of federal prisoners, 1918-1925
  • Medical record, 1952-1954
• City Engineer.
  • Bridge Records, 1918-1967
  • Records, 1889-1947 [bulk, 1890-ca. 1925]
• Records of the Parkway and Park Commission, 1950-1996
• Department of Property Management
  • Director's Office Records, 1979
  • Theatre of the Performing Arts Scrapbooks, 1973 & 1975
  • Delgado-Albania Plantation Commission, 1932-1944
• Records of the Board of Examiners of Operating Engineers, 1934-1987
• Records of the Municipal Auditorium, 1927-1973
• Record of certificates of inspection of streets, buildings, etc., 1879-1883
• Upper Pontalba Building Commission, 1930-1946
• Appraisals of Properties on the Site of the Proposed Civic Center, 1947

• Correspondence/subject files, 1914-1947
• Edward H. (Eddie) Arnold, Jr. records, ca. 1978-2004
• Subject files, 1958-1980
• Records of the Taxicab Bureau, 1932-1993
• Videotapes received by the Department of Utilities.
• Records of the Office of Telecommunications, ca. 1982-1986
• Plans, 1924-1930

• Records, 1912-1950

• Sewerage & Water Board House Connection Records, 1907-1960
• Sewerage & Water Board Series With No Formal Finding Aids , 1927-1974

• Correspondence of the librarian with authors and other notables, 1893-1964
• Librarian's Correspondence, 1938-1962
• Correspondence/Subject Files, 1941-1992
  Addendum to the Correspondence/Subject Files, 1964-2007 [bulk 1985-2004]
• Correspondence of the City Librarian (M. Eugene Wright), 1967-1980
• New Orleans Public Library Booklists and Bibliographies , 1926-1992 [bulk 1967-1976]
• Records of the Community Relations Office, ca. 1970-1989
• Jambalaya Program Records, 1977-1980
• Main Library Public Services, Office Files, 1986-2007

• Records of the Board of Zoning Adjustments, 1943-1992.
• Records of the City Planning Commission
  • Miscellaneous records and documents, 1914-1982
  • Records relating to the creation of the 1929 Comprehensive Zoning Ordinance, 1910-1929.
  • Subject Files, 1927-1985 (bulk, 1945-1985)
• Records of the Vieux Carre Commission
  • Records, 1941-1987
  • Records, 1952-1979
  • Records, 1974-1988
  • Plans, 1970
• Records of the Historic District Landmarks Commission/Central Business District Historic District Landmarks Commission
  • Minutes [cassette tapes], 1976-1994
  • Surveys and Photographs, 1974-2004

Updated 4/6/2017