New Orleans' Storyville Museum: Some of the exhibits evoking the time of its famous red light district
Telling Tales: The Storyville Museum, New Orleans
By Vivacious Miss Audacious
New Orleans’ storied red light district gets its much deserved spotlight with the glossy new Storyville Museum created by Louisiana local, Claus Sadlier. Situated on the edge of the French Quarter, the museum houses the history of ill repute and the tale of a zone that once relegated illegal pleasures to a regulated region. The thoughtfully-curated space spans over 7,000 square feet with an impressive spread of artifacts, at once curious and consequential.
To enter the world of semi-sanctioned vice, you first are greeted with a dive into the history New Orleans' founding years. These span the time from ye olde intrepid Sieur de La Salle’s fateful 1682 trip down the Mississippi, to Bienville’s later plea for wives to service the men of nascent La Nouvelle Orléans. The resulting shipments of female French prisoners (many of whom were sex workers) and their compulsory relocation, has served to set the stage for a home to vagabonds. The barter of women and the associated lurid journey has captured the minds and gripped the loins of generations.
More than a mere historic retelling, the Storyville Museum plunges you into the world of sex for sale with clever interactive exhibits and audio-visual sleights of hand. From spying on an illicit assignation playing out in a tent by candlelight, to stepping into a fully furnished boudoir complete with hologram courtesans, and peering out onto a bustling street from the perspective of a sex worker within her 'crib', visitors enjoy an immersive stroll through the annals of history.
Chock full of historic items, one can lay eyes on rare original copies of the famed Blue Books, the sex worker Yellow Pages of its day, and even thumb through a couple of digital editions, situated on pedestals for easy, hands-on viewing.
Photography buffs will be delighted by the room dedicated to E.J. Bellocq’s legendary portraits of the women of Storyville. Furthermore, you can't discuss the district without making mention of the musical greats like Buddy Bolden and Jelly Roll Morton. As you journey through time, an exciting array of peep show machines are on display, allowing for a true penny arcade experience and a glimpse within.
The Storyville Museum provides a comprehensive romp, as seen through the self-guided tour, and comes highly recommended. Folks wanting to take a piece of Storyville home after the fact will have a delightful time browsing the gift shop. Items like reprints of Blue Books, spicy accoutrements and fascinating non-fiction titles can all be had.
Folks eager to peek behind the velvet curtain can visit the museum website for an expansive array of online goodies - click here for tour and ticketing information