Tulane University's
Louisiana Research Collection

Above is a translation and transcription of an unattributed wartime letter, written in French, presumably by a member of the American de Marigny family of New Orleans, during World War I.   These documents are in the de Marigny family papers, LaRC Manuscripts Collection 416, Box 1, Folder 4. The French original in the collection is itself a handwritten copy. Text of the letter's typed translation, from French into English: I am returning from the trenches/ where I suffered greatly/ I remained 48/ hours in muddy water/ up to my stomach, under a/ very violent firing from German cannons/ For a rest,/ we stay in the cellars/ of a ruined village,/ bombarded night and day./  Dead bodies everywhere a/ stench, it's a little like hell, nevertheless/ our troops an excellent morale,/ nothing seems to affect them.  This was/ is a massacre with/ all the refinements of/ cruelty that human intelligence/ has been able to discover./  The flooded lands where/ we ...

The Louisiana Research Collection has recently acquired the records of the First Unitarian Church of New Orleans. Among First Church’s records are the papers of Reverend Albert D’Orlando, who was a vocal Civil Rights activist in the 1960s. Reverend D’Orlando was especially active in the fight for the integration of New Orleans public schools. Below is a letter co-authored by Rev. D’Orlando and Charles Foster, the president of the church’s Board of Trustees, which describes the church’s the efforts  to support the families of children attending integrated schools, as well as teachers and protesters during this turbulent period in New Orleans’s history.  Transcription January 4, 1961 Dear Friends,                 Brotherhood itself is on trial today in New Orleans. At stake here is the future course of integration itself; for, it is clear that New Orleans will mark the turning point for ...

Samantha Bruner has joined LaRC as our Archives Processing and Digital Initiatives Associate. Samantha is a recent graduate of the University of Texas at Austin’s School of Information. At the iSchool, she focused her studies on archival management and digital preservation. In Austin she gained experience in a variety of archival environments, including the Austin Presbyterian Theological Seminary Archives, the George Bush Library and Museum, and the Archive of Indigenous Languages of Latin America. Samantha also served on the board of UT Austin’s chapter of the Society of American Archivists, and helped organize Archives Week, monthly repository tours, and other events. In 2010, Samantha graduated from Tulane University with a Master of Arts in English Literature. During her time at Tulane, Samantha began working for the Hogan Jazz Archive, where she found her calling as an archivist. After graduating, she taught elementary level English in Japan before enrolling in UT Austin’s ...

NOLA.com featured an article by Chelsea Brasted which briefly describes the upcoming bus tour about John Kennedy Toole's New Orleans. "John Kennedy Toole-themed bus tour will highlight sites, uncover documents of enigmatic author." The day of the event (Saturday, June 7, 2014) will begin and end in Baton Rouge, although plans are being finalized for a New Orleans pick-up location.   The tour organizer and authoritative guide will be Cory MacLauchlin, the author of Butterfly in the Typewriter , a beautifully readable biography of John Kennedy Toole. John Kennedy Toole papers , LaRC Manuscript Collection 740, is held by the Louisiana Research Collection, located in Jones Hall on the Tulane University campus.   The tour includes a stop at Jones Hall in the late morning. Posted by Susanna Powers PLEASE NOTE:  As of May 27, the June 7, 2014 tour has been CANCELLED.    It may be re-planned in the future.

Howard-Tilton Memorial Library Tulane University New Orleans, 15, Louisiana                                         December 19, 1946 Miss Marie Delavigne 2524 Columbus St. New Orleans 19, La. My dear Miss Delavigne:                     Miss Renshaw has called to my attention the two fine and very interesting old documents which you have so kindly donated to the library.  I want to assure you of our very sincere thanks for your kindness and of our pleasure in being able to add this interesting information to our growing Archives Section.                     As you may know, we are now enlarging our collecting enterprises in the manuscript field, and we are anxious to do what we can to assist in the preservation of valuable original documents relating to th...

Please note that the Schiro Reading Room will be closed Saturday-Monday (May 24-26, 2014) for Memorial Day, as well as Thursday-Saturday (May 29-31, 2014) for the Society of Southwest Archivists annual meeting. Regular reading room hours are Monday-Friday 10:00-5:00, and Saturday 9:00-1:00.   Saturday hours will change to 10:00-1:00 on May 17.  It is a good idea to consult the hours page on the LaRC website , for changes and exceptions, whenever planning a visit.