New Orleans 1867 by Gary A van Zante

This book brings together all the surviving photographs - 126 of the original 150 - from the remarkable series "La Nouvelle Orleans et ses environs", taken in 1867 by the New Orleans photographer Theodore Lilienthal (1829-1894). Comprising the first official photographic survey of any American city, the images - featuring every aspect of the city, from mansions and churches to factories and asylums - were exhibited at the Paris World Exposition of 1867 before being presented to Napoleon III, emperor of France (reigned 1852-70). Gary A. Van Zante discusses Lilienthal's techniques and places each work in the context of a city embarking on reconstruction. Extensive biographical and bibliographical information is also provided. This detailed and evocative pictorial and historical survey of Civil War-era New Orleans will appeal to anyone interested in American history, the history of photography or the development of the modern city.