Mardi Gras Museums You Should Visit in New Orleans
Street Parade Culture Lovingly Curated by Louisiana Collectors
Two extraordinary private museums reveal a panoply of New Orleans African American Mardi Gras culture. Owner/curators Ronald Lewis of The House of Dance and Feathers and Sylvester Francis of The Backstreet Cultural Museum preserve the vibrant regalia of costumed marchers who take to the streets in the Crescent City during the weeks leading up to Fat Tuesday (Feb. 13 this year.)
The House of Dance and Feathers is in the Lower 9th Ward and Mr. Lewis had to rebuild his collection after the catastrophic effects of Hurricane Katrina in 2005. It is contained (barely) in two small buildings in back of his home.
Open by appointment (directions at www.houseofdanceandfeathers.org) or on a bike tour, the House is an enchanting melange of artifacts, photos, costumes and masks and Mr. Lewis has a story to give context to any item you might ask about, including those of the macabre Skull and Bones Gangs and the all-female Baby Doll marchers.
The Backstreet Museum is in a former funeral home near Louis Armstrong Park in the Treme neighborhood (hours at www.backstreetmuseum.org.) Mr. Francis, has assembled a glorious display of Mardi Gras Indian costumes. This local African American tradition honors Native Americans who hid escaped slaves and the intricately beaded and feathered costumes are created from scratch every year.
