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The Historic New Orleans Collection
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Research & Collections

Our collections form the heart of our institution. Visit the research center or browse the online catalog to start your adventure in history.

410 Chartres Street

Visit the Williams Research Center

Explore centuries of Gulf South culture with unparalleled access to rare documents, art, and historic treasures. Stop in or browse our online catalog.

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A historic brick building with tall, arched windows and ornate stone details. The facade features a central sign with engraved text. Large doors and lantern-style lights flank the entrance. The structure is framed by neighboring buildings.
Hours & Location Hours & Location

410 Chartres Street
Tuesday–Saturday, 9:30 a.m.–4:30 p.m. 
Closed Sunday and Monday

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Holiday Hours

Admission Admission

Free and open to the public. 

Appointments are recommended but not required.

Contact Us Contact Us

To make an appointment or to correspond with a reference associate about your research topic, email reference@hnoc.org or call (504) 598-7171.

Research & Collections

Online Catalog

Search or browse through HNOC’s vast collections of manuscripts, artifacts, books, artwork, and more in our online catalog.

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A painting of a woman with a red headscarf and bare shoulders against a dark background. She is wearing a white garment and seated with one hand resting on her knee, looking directly at the viewer.

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Collection Highlights

Dive into the Collection with image-rich previews of our treasures from New Orleans history.

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Collection highlights

Hugh Hefner Letter

The Playboy founder laments the effect of Jim Crow on his budding empire.

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2025 0008 2 001 crop
Black and white portrait of Leigh Harris with short hair, resting their head on their hand. They are looking directly at the camera, wearing a dark top and a hoop earring. The background is split into light and dark sections.
Artist Archives

Leigh “Little Queenie” Harris Collection

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A vintage map showing a section of a city divided by a river labeled SIPP. The streets are densely packed with grid-like patterns on either side of the river, and various plots are marked throughout the map.
Show-and-Tell

Zimpel Map of New Orleans

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Allison “Tootie” Montana, big chief of the Yellow Pocahontas wearing an elaborate pink and orange feathered costume with detailed beadwork and intricate patterns stands confidently. The outfit includes a large headdress and symbolic designs across the chest and arms.
Signature Collections

Michael P. Smith Collection

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A vintage sheet music cover titled The Mysterious Axmans Jazz (Dont Scare Me Papa). It shows a chaotic scene with musicians playing and a startled woman at a piano. Two inset portraits are at the bottom.
Staff Picks

The Mysterious Axman’s Jazz

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A photograph of the cover of “The Land We Love” magazine, Vol. 1, No. 5 (1866); Vol. 2, No. 2 (1866), September 1866.
Rare Books & Periodicals

The Land We Love

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An elderly man stands in a dimly lit room holding a small blue and white bird in one hand. He is wearing a light-colored shirt and dark pants. Cardboard boxes are stacked in the background.
Signature Collections

William Russell Jazz Collection

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A vintage illustration of a woman in a long dress sitting on a rustic bench in a garden. She holds a patterned shawl and gazes upwards. The scene is surrounded by lush foliage and a woven fence, creating a peaceful, nostalgic atmosphere.
Staff Picks

Les lys et les roses

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A cropped view shows a sailing ship entering the Mississippi River in an engraving from Harper’s Weekly.
Staff Picks

The South Pass Jetties of the Mississippi

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A person wearing a cap sits at a wooden table, reading a book in a library. The table is spread with more books, a tablet, a smartphone, a pencil holder, and a notebook. The floor has a patterned carpet. The date on the tablet reads 16.

Research Tools

Explore HNOC’s plentiful resources for professional and amateur researchers alike, freely available to the public.

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20170620 Laussat Society Showand Tell MC 064 o3

Research Pathfinders

Subject-based guides to primary and secondary sources in our holdings

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A vintage street scene with cars parked along a row of historic buildings. The architecture features ornate iron balconies. People are walking on the sidewalk, and a sign for French Quarter Restaurant is visible. The overall tone is nostalgic and historic.

Vieux Carré Survey

Begun in 1960 to bolster local historic preservation efforts, the survey contains detailed property data about every building and lot in the French Quarter from the French colonial period to the present.

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Three people sit inside a diner. From left to right: a man in a white shirt and cap, a man in a dark jacket and hat, and an elderly woman in a dress with a cane. They are seated around a small table with chairs. The setting is cozy and vintage.

Oral History

HNOC’s oral history program preserves diverse personal narratives, fostering a richer collective memory through interviews and vignettes. 

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A vintage newspaper clipping titled Lost Friends with a note about publishing letters from subscribers. Below, a letter by Parmelia Scales seeks information about her mother, Esther Sponds, last seen in Guinett County, Georgia.

Lost Friends Database

A database of more than 2,500 advertisements placed in the decades following the Civil War chronicles individuals searching for loved ones lost in slavery.

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Close-up of an elegant, vintage-style sofa with golden upholstery and intricate woodwork on the armrest. The arm features a round bolster pillow, and the sofa sits on a dark carpet with a gold floral pattern.

Decorative Arts of the Gulf South

HNOC’s ongoing research project dedicated to the material culture of the Gulf South

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A black and white image of a cemetery wall with multiple tombs stacked vertically. Each tomb is marked with inscriptions, and some have small crosses. The wall shows signs of aging, with some greenery above.

New Orleans Cemetery Database

Explore data contained in the Survey of Historic New Orleans Cemeteries, which covers St. Louis No. 1 and St. Louis No. 2 in New Orleans.

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Research

Genealogy Resources

Our experts at the Williams Research Center are available to help you dive into your family history.

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People reading and working at tables in a spacious, well-lit library with high ceilings. Theres a mezzanine level with bookshelves and more seating. Large windows, elegant chandeliers, and a patterned carpet add to the classic ambiance.
Research

Ask a Librarian

Have a question about our holdings, or need more information about visiting the Williams Research Center? Our reference staff wants to hear from you.

Ask a Librarian

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A group of people examine historical materials at HNOC's Williams Research Center.
Research

Our Buildings

HNOC’s 14 historic buildings, spread over three blocks of the French Quarter, are foundational parts of our collection. Explore illustrated timelines of their architectural histories here.

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Illustration of a picturesque courtyard with plants and a lamppost surrounded by two-story buildings featuring balconies and shutters. The area is paved, giving it a quaint, serene atmosphere.
Research

Prizes & Fellowships

Supporting new historical research through funded scholarships and awards

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An open large book displayed in a glass case, featuring an illustration of a white and gray bird with a long beak perched on a branch with green leaves. The book is set on a white exhibit table.
About

Internships

Explore paid opportunities for undergraduate and postgraduate students interested in museum studies and archival research.

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A group of three people in yellow shirts and one woman in a black shirt are gathered around a table with historical books and documents. The woman shows a book to the group in an archival setting. Shelves filled with boxes are in the background.
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