KnowLA is a comprehensive, dynamic online reference guide to the history and culture of Louisiana. The encyclopedia is accessible to anyone with a web-enabled device, free of charge.
Alexander Alaux, born in France in 1851, came to Louisiana at the age of six. After studying in Europe, Alaux returned to Louisiana where he painted with his children until his death in 1932. Read »
Amans, Jacques Guillaume Lucien
French artist Jacques Amans was the leading portraitist in New Orleans during the 1840s and 1850s. Read »
Baker, William Henry
William Henry Baker was a itinerant Grand Manner portrait painter active in the New Orleans area during the nineteenth century. Read »
Battle of Liberty Place
The Battle of Liberty Place, September 14, 1874, effectively brought an end of Reconstruction policies in Louisiana. Read »
Beauregard, Pierre Gustave Toutant
P.G.T. Beauregard, born in St. Bernard Parish in 1818, was the first prominent general of the Confederate Army during the Civil War. Read »
Blessing, Samuel Tobias
Of the hundreds of photographers in New Orleans during the second half of the nineteenth century, Samuel T. Blessing stands out for his longevity, production, and business acumen Read »
Brammer, Robert
Robert Brammer, an itinerant landscape painter, opened a portrait studio in New Orleans in 1842. Read »
Buck, William Henry
Artist William Henry Buck was among the originators of the “bayou school” of painting in Louisiana. Read »
Burke, E. A.
Edward Austin Burke, known as Major E. A. Burke, was a Louisiana politician during the Reconstruction era. Read »
Cabildo
The Cabildo, one of three eighteenth-century structures that anchor New Orleans' Jackson Square, stands as a visual monument to Spanish rule in New Orleans, as well as one of the nation’s most significant historical landmarks. Read »
Cajun Folklife
Cajun folklife is a field of study that describes, catalogs, and deciphers meaning within the vernacular culture of Acadian refugees who settled in Louisiana. Read »
Cajuns
Cajuns are the descendants of Acadian exiles from the Maritime provinces of Canada—Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, and Prince Edward Island—who migrated to southern Louisiana. Read »
Cajuns in Literature
Acadians, Cajuns, and their history became part of American literature, often represented through romantic myth. Read »
Canova, Dominico
Born in Italy, Dominico Canova spent many years painting frescoes in banks, churches, and private homes in New Orleans and southern Louisiana. Read »
Carville National Leprosarium
Several buildings at the National Leprosarium at Carville, Louisiana, were built by the Works Progress Administration. Read »
Castledon, George Frederick
Best known for his paintings and illustrations of the historic architecture of New Orleans' French Quarter, itinerant artist George Frederick Castledon first visited New Orleans in 1911. Read »
Challoner, Captain William Lindsey
Captain William Lindsey Challoner worked for the Machecca line of fruit trade ships and sailed through many international ports. These busy ports inspired Challoner's paintings of ships and harbor scenes. Read »
Chassaignac, Eugène
Eugène Chassaignac was a composer and music critic in nineteenth century New Orleans. Read »
Chopin, Kate
Kate Chopin, one of Louisiana's best known authors, wrote fiction about late nineteenth-century Cajun life. Read »
City Park, New Orleans
One of the largest urban parks in the United States, New Orleans' City Park is home to many cultural and recreational attractions including the New Orleans Museum of Art, the Botanical Garden, golf courses, tennis courts, City Bark dog park, Tad Gormley stadium, and several lagoons. Read »
