Frances Bryson Moore

Frances Bryson Moore (1895-1977) was a newspaper columnist, journalist, editor, and political activist, working for the New Orleans Tribune and New Orleans Item. Her interests included local and national politics, women's issues, arts, antiques, genealogy, and local architectural preservation, especially of buildings in the Vieux Carre.   She was a self-described "ardent pro-liberal and pro-Kennedy Democrat."  She was married to, and then separated from, Col. J. W. F. Moore (d. 1948). Frances Moore, sometimes called “Fannie”, used her maiden name or her married name on her writings, and usually used her married name on personal and financial papers. Her mother was Sarah Anette "Nettie" Denaux Bryson (d. 1949).

The Frances Bryson Moore papers, 1911-1976 (LaRC Manuscripts Collection 450) contains personal, professional, and collected papers of Frances B. Moore of New Orleans.  It includes typed and handwritten correspondence, financial documents, real estate transactions, telegrams, post cards, greeting cards, poems, a school yearbook, Carnival ephemera, invitations, handwritten address book pages, social stationery, certificates, numerous family and group photographs, photographs of buildings and places in New Orleans, handwritten notes detailing her life, research notes, genealogical information, medical notes about family members including a typed autopsy report, newspaper clippings about local issues and events, clippings of her newspaper columns titled Frances Bryson's Notebooks, and other printed items. Correspondents include friends and family members, and also well-known individuals such as Rudolph Matas, Mayor Chep Morrison, and Pierre Salinger.

This lively, unusual archival collection is interdisciplinary, and will be of interest to those studying Louisiana and New Orleans history, politics, architecture, medicine, fashion, social life, and journalism. 

Captions:  Frances Bryson Moore early portrait (450-4-1); Louisiana governors Earl K. Long and Richard W. Leche in a candid photograph, laughing with Frances Moore and others in New Orleans (undated, probably late 1930s) 450-4-2; Vieux Carre buildings, 227-239 Bourbon St., 1939 (450-4-7).  Images may not be re-published without permission.

Posted by Susanna Powers