| University of New Orleans
Archives and Manuscripts Department
A part of UNO since 1968, the department is the official archive of the
University as well as of the Louisiana State Supreme Court, the Orleans
Parish School Board, and the local Chamber of Commerce. Its collecting focus
is on 20th century New Orleans-area ethnic and business records.
Unusual Carnival-related holdings in the Department include numerous items relating to "truck parades," which consist
of long lines of gaily decorated tractor-trailers filled with families and friends, music and song, all of which follow krewe
parades on Mardi Gras day. Among these are typescript histories, artwork, a manuscript on doubloons used in the truck
parades, registration forms, and applications.
In the Marcus Christian Collection are programs from the Zulu Ball, along with a chapter entitled "Carnival
Groups and
Social, Aid, and Pleasure Clubs" from an unpublished manuscript.
UNO's Archives Department also holds Mardi Gras-related photographs, diaries, ball souvenirs, correspondence,
newspaper bulletins, books, parade throws, and doubloons.
The Judge John Minor Wisdom Collection (3 lf.) contains Carnival ball programs, invitations, admit cards,
dance cards,
souvenir booklets, and newspaper editions illustrating Carnival parades. Photographs of the Krewe of NOR parades are
included in the Orleans Parish School Board Collection.
An important source for studying the economic impact of Mardi Gras on the Metropolitan area are studies conducted
yearly by UNO's Dr. James McLain and published in Louisiana Business Survey, a service of the UNO Division of
Business and Economic Research. The Archives' UNO Collection contains reprints of these articles beginning
in 1988.
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