The Presbytere
The Presbytere was originally supposed to be here the clergy for the cathedral
lived. It is currently separated into two different museums. The first floor is
the Hurricane Katrina exhibit while the second floor is a Mardi Gras Museum.
Hurricane Katrina
As we entered the
museum, the overwhelming sound of flowing water was the first to catch my
attention. The sounds and anxiety that I
remembered seeing on television from the Hurricane 5 disaster on August 29,
2005 flooded my emotions and brought back a sense of terror and fright. Although
the massive storm hit on Aug 29th, the majority of its damage occurred
days after it hit land. There were video’s
playing of how the community stuck together and differed greatly from what I recalled
on television by showing hero’s and how the community stuck together instead of
the ‘victims” that were displayed on the news. Many neighbors helped each other
and even came to the rescue of their neighbors in their time of need. Just
hearing the stories being told by the survivors created a chill up my spine. I
was never really able to grasp the many levels of failure that lead up to the devastation
until I saw the video that mapped out the different levies and breaches that occurred
in various locations all over the city. Seeing where and how the over 50
breaches occurred and how that caused death and destruction brought a sense of
realization that was not able to seen through any news or television program.
It actually put the damage into perspective from a human stand point. The lack
of preparation and a “rescue” plan was an epic failure at best. There was no
plan in place for anyone. Listening to people tell their stories of how they
were all crammed into the Superdome and were forced to sleep with their
families on the cement floors that were also used as restrooms. One video that
brought tears to my eyes was the story told by a man at a hospital that
actually saw the Presidents helicopter fly over and how he thought that meant
being rescued and how it was heartening to see that same helicopter fly away
while they were still trapped. The hospitals were all without power and the
lifesaving measures that were necessary for daily operations. This was just one
of the examples of how the community stuck together to help each other and gave
their all to survive. The Hurricane
Katrina Museum was a very interesting and educational experience that I am glad
to have had. There is no way I would have ever been able to understand the
degree of damage and emotions from one natural disaster without visiting this exhibit.
As a volunteer firefighter and EMT, I was especially impressed with how the
community pulled together with the help of the first responders. Living along
the Illinois River, I have spent many years sandbagging, but never to this
degree. This exhibit really hit home with me realizing how natural disasters
are never able to be predicted, but how history has taught us how to be
prepared for the unexpected.
Mardi Gras Museum
While the first floor showed a level of destruction that was
depressing to view, the second floor displayed an almost festive and carnival
sensation. The extraordinary costumes that had been worn during several
different parades displayed were cheerful and a delight to see. A great amount
of time had to have been spent making these costumes with feathers, beads and
jewels. The crowns and tiaras were simply amazing and fitting for any king or
queen. It is no wonder that New Orleans
is known for Mardi Gras with a display as beautiful as this. It was very
interesting to see how the costumes and floats changed throughout the
generations, but still represented a festive demeanor. The pictures on the
walls showed the images in black and white, but the displays revealed the
bright colors that created the vibrant decorations and costumes. I have personally
never attended Mardi Gras, but after seeing the displays along with the festive
atmosphere of New Orleans itself, I defiantly plan on attending Mardi Gras in
the near future.
The Cabildo
The Cabildo is one of the most beautiful and
historic buildings in New Orleans. There were pictures of some of the most
famous person’s and events in Louisiana’s history. Pictures and displays of items from the Battle
of New Orleans and Jean-Baptiste Le Moyne, the founder of New Orleans as
well as displays and pieces from the Native Americans when they first arrived. This
was one of the best tours we took because it had a lot of displays we were able
to have hands on with (battle drums) and original displays of Andrew Jackson’s
uniform, the signing of the Louisiana Purchase, and the original plans of the
building. There was a lot of information given about slavery and the development
of the city. Besides the historical information found inside the Cabildo, the
building itself was amazing. We were able to stand on the balcony and see the
entire town square. This was one of the greatest views that I observed on the
entire trip. The view of the town on a weekend morning while the city was alive
with action and a festive feeling was in the air. The history and the exhibits
at the Cabildo made this a great educational and informative visit.
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