All Souls: The Nuanced Landscapes of the St. Louis Cathedral Cemeteries

1132 Royal Street,New Orleans LA 70116

09 November, 2022

Description

Join us for this special Gallier Gathering and Closing Party for the Creole Death & Mourning exhibit with open-house access to the Gallier House parlor! Guests will also be able to view the photography exhibit, Death and the Maiden by photographer Brittany Markert, in the Gallier House shop. About this Event The St. Louis Cemeteries of New Orleans are among the city’s most iconic mortuary landscapes. St. Louis Cemetery No. 1 also has the distinction of being the oldest extant cemetery within city limits. This lecture will focus on the history and planning of the three cemeteries: St. Louis Cemetery No. 1, No. 2, and No.3. Each site is unique in terms of layout, meeting the contemporary needs and ideals of the period in which it was established. Drawing from historic maps, primary archival sources, and archeological evidence, the landscapes of each of the three cemeteries will be investigated, showcasing the changes made over time and how lines were drawn to segregate based upon religion, race, and status—including allocating burial space for the enslaved. The distinctive mortuary architecture and its role, both practical as well as ideological, will also be explored as we uncover some of the ‘lost’ history of these rich cultural landscapes. About the Speaker Heather Veneziano is an architectural historian and cultural heritage advisor with the preservation-consulting firm of Gambrel & Peak, in addition to being the Director of Public Engagement and Development for New Orleans Catholic Cemeteries, and an Adjunct Lecturer in Historic Preservation at Tulane School of Architecture. Her research and expertise are focused on cultural heritage sites, vernacular architecture and deathscapes, with a strong emphasis on historic preservation and placemaking. She is an award-winning author, an accomplished editor, and a contributor to a number of published works focused on cemetery studies and the architecture of the Gulf South. She currently serves on the executive council of the Louisiana Historical Society and the Vieux Carré Commission. Additionally, she is the co-chair of the Louisiana Chapter of the Association for Gravestone Studies.