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.
Painter Wayman Adams was primarily known for his portraits of prominent individuals painted in the “alla prima” style; quickly, often finishing his portraits in one sitting. Read »
Alaux, Alexander
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 »
Albrizio, Conrad
Though born in New York City, artist Conrad Albrizio did much of his work in Louisiana, and his frescos, murals, and paintings ornament Depression-era buildings throughout the region. Read »
Alférez, Enrique
Sculptor Enrique Alferez's life spanned almost the entire twentieth century, with much of it spent creating art works in Louisiana. Read »
Amans, Jacques Guillaume Lucien
French artist Jacques Amans was the leading portraitist in New Orleans during the 1840s and 1850s. Read »
Anderson, Walter Inglis
Walter Inglis Anderson, born in New Orleans, expressed his unique artistic vision in murals, watercolors, oils, sketches, sculpture, rugs, wallpaper, and furniture, among other art forms. Read »
Ardoin, Amédé
One of southern Louisiana’s first great recording artists was a Creole accordionist and singer named Amédé Ardoin. Read »
Armstrong, Louis
Renowned as a seminal figure in the evolution of jazz, Louis Armstrong is also considered one of the major artistic figures of the twentieth century. Read »
Art and Letters
The journal “Art and Letters” played a significant role in the development of the late-nineteenth-century New Orleans arts community. Read »
Artists' Association of New Orleans
The Artists’ Association of New Orleans, which was incorporated in 1886, promoted the appreciation of fine arts in the South in general and New Orleans in particular. Read »
Audubon Park
Fronting the Mississippi River, Audubon Park is one of New Orleans’s most popular attractions for both tourists and locals. Read »
Bartholomew, Dave
A pillar of New Orleans rhythm and blues (R&B) community, Dave Bartholomew is a trumpeter, vocalist, songwriter, arranger, producer, bandleader, and astute businessman. Read »
Basso, Hamilton
New Orleans-born Hamilton Basso was an influential novelist and journalist, as well as part of the southern literary renaissance. 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 »
Bellocq, E.J.
Photographer E.J. Bellocq gained fame after his death for his portraits of prostitutes in Storyville. Read »
Benton, Thomas Hart
Thomas Hart Benton was a Missouri Regionalist painter who made frequent trips to the American South, including Louisiana. 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 »
Blue Books, New Orleans
Blue Books is the common name given to the various published directories of female prostitutes and houses of prostitution in Storyville, New Orleans' legally designated red-light district. Read »
Bolden, Buddy
Buddy Bolden, a cornet player, is the first documented player of New Orleans jazz. Read »
Bontemps, Arna Wendell
Arna Wendell Bontemps, a distinguished contributor to the writings of the Harlem Renaissance, was born in Alexandria, Louisiana. Read »
