Mardi Gras Treasures

"The fantastic empire of New Orleans Carnival returns to life every winter, with its festive panoply of masquerades, balls, feasts, and pagentry. New Orleans is never more herself than during this reign of folly and ritual calendar of earthly delights--when the deities of forgotten pantheons and the splendors of long-vanished courts are restored for a season, summoned into being from the gilded vaults of the old city's memory."

Though Mardi Gras had been celebrated in New Orleans for many years, the Golden Age of Carnival (1870-1930) was marked by shimmering pageants and opulent private balls. These balls were attended by coveted invitation only, and the invitations were as lushly executed as the balls and pageants themselves.

Ball invitations, dance cards, and admit cards reflected exalted themes drawn from mythology, epic literature, religion, and whimsy. Presented in this collection are dazzling examples of that artistry--masterworks of design and lithography, most of them reproduced here for the first time.

New Orleans collectibles, and especially Mardi Gras collectibles, continue to be popular worldwide. This gorgeous volume of vintage Mardi Gras ball invitations, dance cards, and admit cards shows off the kinds of collectibles that are still available. Collectors and noncollectors alike will enjoy this lavish look back on the glories of Carnival art.

Henri Schindler, a New Orleans native, is the acclaimed designer of Mardi Gras parades and balls for some of the city's most eminent societies. He is highly regarded among Carnival historians for his knowledge of the festival's rich cultural legacy, and of its forgotten artists and builders.