Noteworthy in Nola » Cemeteries

Treme filming in Lafayette No 2

Tess — Fri, 30 Apr 2010 03:30:16 +0000

I was dropping off some Jazzfest guests to the Fairgrounds when I noticed a bunch of filming in the cemetery. On the way back I stopped to check it out, and got talking to the director of live music, a local guy in Saints gear, relaxing on the back of a supply truck in the shade of an oak tree. I was surprised that they were still filming, and he said this is the season finale and he had one last big job before the wrap- another second line.

Uncle Lionel and his Drum on the set of Treme. That drum is famous around town and was briefly stolen earlier this year. A huge outcry followed and coordinated efforts on the ground, Facebook and Twitter got the word out - he got it back in short order.

He told me that his job title was specific on purpose- all the music from the series is caught live, which makes his job interesting, to say the least. The episodes are tivo’ed, but I told him I was happy they’d focused on the second line’s hoopla under the I-10 overpass in the premiere, and he laughed. He’d watched every show and movie about the city and knew exactly what they’d missed- like how the bands let loose in the echo-y concrete under the highway, always a magical moment.

I realized I had video of the actual event- HBO put out a call to recreate this, the first Second Line, post Katrina. There was just no way to duplicate it… it was a magical day.

(a few more pics can be found here.)Similar Posts:

St. Patrick Cemetery- Crosses at Dawn

Tess — Fri, 05 Mar 2010 23:33:13 +0000

It’s been awhile since I’ve posted anything cemetery related over here- it’s all been going up at the Graveyard Rabbit site, so if you’d like to see more, that’s where to find it! Similar Posts:

Anthropomorphizing as all getout, but…

Tess — Tue, 14 Jul 2009 04:09:53 +0000

Tell me this cloud doesn’t look like another angel floating over the Italian Benevolent Society Tomb in St. Louis No 1?

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Michael Jackson Second Line

Tess — Wed, 01 Jul 2009 01:08:44 +0000

Well, the King of Pop didn’t really have a New Orleans connection, but we threw him a party anyway. Like we do.

Normally, a Second Line follows after a funeral or memorial service, but since he’s not being buried here regardless, I guess they decided to just go ahead and do it now. After all, is he even being buried? I remember hearing talk about a cryogenic process, but who knows if that was truth or tabloid fodder.

Whichever, it was held on Sunday afternoon in ungodly, stifling heat, but that didn’t stop everybody from dancing up a storm and having a great time. (to be fair, not everybody. I wimped out at home, in the AC, which is why I’m cheating and using the Times Picayune’s video.)

VIDEO: Huge second-line honors Pop King Michael Jackson

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New Orleans Graveyard Rabbits

Tess — Tue, 12 May 2009 03:52:09 +0000

Just a brief programming note…

I was honored to be accepted as the new New Orleans Graveyard Rabbit, the Rabbits being

(an) association dedicated to the academic promotion of the historical importance of cemeteries, grave markers, and the family history to be learned from a study of burial customs, burying grounds, and tombstones; and the social promotion of the study of cemeteries, the preservation of cemeteries, and the transcription of genealogical/historical information written in cemeteries.

One of their members reached out to me on Facebook, and for now I have a sub-domain set up on my other blog but will likely move it out to its own URL soon.

I’m not going to cross post everything graveyard related here, soNOLAGR will carry more detailed info on cemetery/burial traditions from here on out.

There are already a few things that are over there that haven’t appeared on NoteworthyInNola, so if that’s the kinda thing that floats your boat, or maybe you’d like to know just what the hell this is about:

Head over to LifeInTheLandofDreamyDreams.com/NOLAGR and let me know what you think~

Thanks, everybody!

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Offner Lighthouse- Chevra Thilim Cemetery

Tess — Sun, 03 May 2009 05:43:04 +0000

Founded in 1858, this Jewish cemetery is the first one you come to when riding the streetcar out to the end of Canal Street to the cemeteries, but it’s easy to miss. There are no tombs, and most burials are low to the ground and in the more traditional American style- one body per plot.

Without any big marble structures, Chevra Thilim is easy to miss, especially since it’s dwarfed by a huge white mansion along side it- once a funeral home in it’s, now home of a ‘para-complex,’ where they give ghost tours and test your potential for ESP.

With the low-lying landscape, there’s one tomb that stands out, the Harry Offner lighthouse.

At 11 feet high and including much detail, it’s hard to miss. Mr. Offner was a president of the Lighthouse for the Blind, and chose to be buried under their symbol.

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Louis Prima Tomb- Lakelawn Metairie Cemetery

Tess — Tue, 07 Apr 2009 04:08:59 +0000

Louis is one of those New Orleans icons who goes through a resurgence every few years, and I confess that I just love the guy.

A larger than life personality, he’s remembered as much for his movies and his Vegas act as his music. Prima was born and raised in downtown New Orleans, working in the pit of the Saenger theater before moving onto Bourbon Street’s Red Door and the big time after Benny Goodman had him write several songs for him which became hits.

Five wives and several fortunes won and lost later, he fell into a coma due to a brain tumor in 1975, hanging on for three years before his death. He was buried in Greenwood Cemetery briefly before moving into this fabulous tomb, with the Angel Gabriel atop it to welcome him home. (EDIT: Thanks to the fabulous Kim, we know the sculptor was Alexei Kazantsev and it was placed in the mid-90s.)

The inscription reads:

Dec. 7 1910-Aug 24, 1978

A LEGEND

When the end comes
I know
they’ll say,
“Just a Gigolo”
As life goes on without me.

Lovingly, your little family
Gia
Lena Ann
and Louis Jr.

Gia was his last wife, and although he had five children only those they had together are on the inscription. She now manages LouisPrima.com, and keeps his name alive.

Sadly, there aren’t many videos out there of him performing live, but here’s one of the song from the inscription. The sound doesn’t quite match the action, but it’s a lot of fun anyway.

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St. Louis No. 2

Tess — Tue, 13 Jan 2009 02:33:33 +0000

This society tomb’s marble is long gone, but I’d guess the recent brick- loss was from Gustav, since the inside is in really excellent shape and likely hasn’t been exposed very long.

You can see the roof beams are still in place, and the bricks quite solid, but the amazing thing is that sheet of slate that served as a shelf for the coffin. This particular tomb held four coffins at a time, each (even the bottom) on one of those shelves, with an open area below.

Of the many open tombs you see around the city, this is the first with a liner still inside that I’ve seen. The fact that it’s up high will help it last a little longer, and maybe (tho not likely) they’ll patch it up before it starts to crumble.

It’s also lost half of the bottom tomb, thanks to our super soft soil and high water table.

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Perseverance Fire Co. No. 13

Tess — Mon, 05 Jan 2009 13:08:32 +0000

Perseverance Fire Co. No. 13

Cypress Grove was opened in 1838 specifically for the volunteer firemen and their families. Many surviving family members had their dead disinterred and moved here, once it was in operation.

Located at the very end of Canal, this is one of the smaller cemeteries, but still really interesting.

The above is a society tomb originally opened for one of the fire companies, built in 1840. It’s located close to the entrance and is so white it absolutely gleams.Similar Posts:

Holt at Dawn

Tess — Sun, 23 Nov 2008 22:50:07 +0000

Sorry for all the cemetery pix lately, I’m working on a story about them, so I’ve been spending a lot of time in and around them doing research.

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