 New Orleans Public Library
Image of the Month
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In 1869 the city's sixteen market houses were appraised at just under $2.5 million, the most valuable category of city-owned property during that time. Three of those entities--the Beef Market, the Vegetable Market, and the Fruit Market--comprised what we now know as the French Market, the only market remaining under municipal ownership today. This month's image is a postcard from ca. 1910 showing the Fruit Market building that once sat upon the space now occupied by the Jeanne d'Arc statue at St. Philip Street between Decatur and North Peters--directly in front of the Vegetable Market building. Unlike many other market views this image focuses on people within the market rather than on the buildings themselves. It is also interesting because of the "Glad U Kum" sign sitting amidst the fruit being offered for sale. The sign is an early acknowledgment of the role of conventions and tourism in the Crescent City, in this case the April 10-15, 1910 Annual Session of the Ancient Arabic Order of the Nobles of the Mystic Shrine ("Shriners") in New Orleans.  Click the image to see a larger version. Click HERE to visit our old (1996-2007) Images of the Month Gallery archives.
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11/1/2008
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