The Mystery of the Old Absinthe House Bar

Does the shakey first photo here mean you are still drunk from the weekend? No...you are just experiencing a genuine FauxD© 1950s shot of the Old Absinthe House Bar on Bourbon and Conti. Below is a previously posted shot of the same location:

How the same building looked in 2002, when it was the home of Mango Mango Daiquiris. I’m guessing they didn’t pack as much punch as Absinthe. Today, it appears it is known as SLUSH Frozen Cocktails; 4 stars, nine reviews. Maybe I should put it on my to-do list for the next trip to Nawlins. Or maybe not.

In looking up Old Absinthe House Bar online, all I can find is information about this completely different building on Bienville and Bourbon, which is Jean Lafitte’s Old Absinthe House.

Until somebody steps forward, I can’t tell you which one is older or what the difference was between them. Did the French Quarter really need two Absinthe Bars?

See more Bourbon Street photos at my main website.

Pete on Bourbon

Sorry - not sorry - but we are back in New Orleans! Today‘s vintage image is from June 1965 and shows a dashing gent posing in front of Pete’s Place at the corner of Bourbon and St. Ann Streets in the French Quarter. The club opened in November 1960; previously it was La Lune.

From the website nola.com: Jazz clarinetist Pete Fountain, who was known to music fans around the world, often joked that he attended the “Conservatory of Bourbon Street,” eschewing his studies at Warren Easton High School in favor of the musical education he received as a teenager playing in French Quarter clubs. “We tried to call it the French Quarter Inn [note the sign in the photo above], but everyone ended up just calling it Pete’s Place,” Fountain told The Times-Picayune in 1987. “I think my name is still out on the sidewalk.” Fountain recorded two live albums in the club, “Pete Fountain: French Quarter Inn” and “Pete Fountain on Tour.” In 1968, Fountain relocated to a larger space at 231 Bourbon St. He continued performing there until 1977, when he moved to a club in the newly opened New Orleans Hilton Hotel, now the Hilton New Orleans Riverside. Although Fountain died in 2016, he remains an icon on Bourbon Street. His life-sized statue is one of nine included in New Orleans Musical Legends Park at 311 Bourbon Street.

The photo on the side of the club was from the cover of his 1963 album “Plenty of Pete,” which included such classics as “Stardust” and “Just One of Those Things.”

Today, this location is known as Oz, a gay nightclub:

See more Bourbon Street photos at my main website.

Vintage Canal Street

Two vintage views of Canal Street in New Orleans for today. The first one is from July 5, 1957. Looks like the photographer was standing at the corner of Canal and Bourbon. Note to self: next time in New Orleans, take the same picture!



Moving ahead to April 1964, it’s obvious that time has passed with the typical 60’s remodels of some of the storefronts. How about that honeycomb panel overhaul for the building at right? That’s modernization for you!



Of course I had to zoom into the streetcar:



See more New Orleans photos at my main website.

Harry goes to New Orleans, 1957

In 1957 a man named Harry Pollack traveled west from Delaware. I love this image he shot to begin his series of slides that he would shoot along the way. Today's post shows the photos he took in New Orleans. This one sure makes me hungry for some pralines!



Something about the architecture here and the wrought iron grillwork that really speaks to me.



A detailed view of the shops. Interesting how both book and print shops have had to change quite a bit in the last decade to stay viable.





On the left side of this detailed view, it would appear that there are boxes of beignet mix perhaps? The design you see today is very much the same.





The Old Absinthe House:



Looks like this guy might be selling postcards or photos:















Grab a beignet and see more New Orleans photos at my main website.

Lunch at Galatoire's

Here is a vintage December 1959 photo of Galatoire's, the famous restaurant in the French Quarter of New Orleans on Bourbon Street. What was once Randon's Cleaners next door is now Galatoire's 33 Bar & Steak. Yes, they have expanded!



Another detailed shot showing the license plate, for all you vintage auto enthusiasts!



Galatoire's has been a staple of the French Quarter since 1905.



At lunch time, locals stop by for this wonderful deal. Hopefully those participating just have to walk to their next business meeting.



The dining room downstairs is like a step back in time.



...and so is the service. In a good way!



The filet I had at lunch during my last visit was out of this world. No sauce was necessary.



The memory of the mouthwatering Sweet Potato Cheesecake pie still lingers.



Hungry for more? Visit my main website.

Eating in Nawlins: Brennan's

Located at 417 Royal Street, the Patio Royal Restaurant, seen in this 1950's image, featured the world's first air-conditioned outdoor dining patio. It was also known as the home of the Banker's Cocktail.



Today, it is home of the world famous Brennan's, where I had the pleasure of dining last month. The service was impeccable; just enough attention…but not too much.



The original Brennan's Restaurant, called Owen Brennan's Vieux Carre Restaurant, was located on Bourbon Street, as seen in this November 1954 photo:



The patio is still there; no air conditioning necessary in March!



The restaurant has eight dining rooms.



The one we dined in resembled a Parisian Cafe:



The Roost Bar, with light fixtures resembling bird cages. The perfect place to have the official New Orleans cocktail, a Sazerac. I had my first sip of one, which was plenty. An entire one would have knocked me on my ass.



The lamb chops were delicious (sorry vegetarians!).



The highlight of the evening was the preparation of dessert, Bananas Foster. In the early 1950's, Owen Brennan decided to name a dessert after his friend and fellow member of the Metropolitan Crime Commission, Robert Foster. The dish was originally invented at Brennan's Vieux Carré, but its popularity did not fully take off until Brennan's began "Breakfast At Brennans' with Fosters as a signature dessert.



As it was served; it may not look all that appetizing, but trust me...it was de-lish!



Hungry for more of Brennan's? Pull your chair up to my main website.

The Morning After

My first visit to New Orleans was as cool as I thought it would be. At night, Bourbon Street was alive, crowded with revelers and looky-loos, as an "anything goes" atmosphere pervaded.

The next morning, Bourbon Street was a ghost town. Being an early bird, I was up at the crack of dawn, surveying the damage...and the smells. A huge water truck lumbered down Bourbon, hosing the waste into the drains from the previous night's damage. When I saw this vintage May 1949 image, I had to have it, as it was the perfect image (albeit on a smaller scale) to corroborate my memory.

From "Garden & Gun" magazine in an article by John T. Edge:

"New Orleans smells of funk and fecundity. Of French Quarter Dumpster juice and Garden District bougainvillea. Of bruised magnolia blossoms and spent Sazeracs. In Jitterbug Perfume, my second-favorite book inspired by the city, Tom Robbins wrote that Louisiana, right around this time of year, is 'like an obscene phone call from nature.'"



That pretty much sums it up. If you ever get to visit New Orleans, I suggest you sleep in and miss the early morning cleanup!

See more vintage and current New Orleans photos on my New Orleans photo web pages.