New Orleans is unbelievably rich with culture, history, and unique traditions, but all too often, that history can seem so distant from the modern day! Ready to take a step back in time? These incredible photos of New Orleans in the 1910s are an amazing time capsule of what life was like in NOLA over a century ago. From factory workers to Mardi Gras festivities, it’s neat to look back and see how much has changed…and how much has stayed the same!

1. Locals shopping at French Market in 1910. Even 1910 New Orleans residents needed to peruse! Some things never change.

2. People gathered around St. Louis Cathedral on Good Friday in the early 1910s.

3. Mardi Gras on Frenchman Street in 1910.

4. A group of friends dressed up for the Mardi Gras dance in the street, 1916.

5. Mardi Gras always drew crowds, even back in 1917.

6. Employees working in the Elmer Candy Company factory, 1917.

7. Couple of gals playing cards in Storyville, sometime between 1911-1913.

8. Doctors and nurses dressing wounds at the U.S. Naval Hospital, 1918.

9. Two gentlemen from the U.S. Public Health Service visit a building to discuss rat control, 1914.

10. In 1914, the bubonic plague was detected in rats in New Orleans, which prompted a major rat eradication.

11. People gather around City Hall for a Liberty Loan Drive, 1918.

12. The Jesuit High School baseball team in 1918.

13. A dedication ceremony of the Jefferson Davis monument in 1911.

14. Casual afternoon scene at Reno’s Restaurant in 1912.

15. A couple of newsboys in 1913.

16. The conductors of the streetcar gather around a Magazine Streetcar in 1915.

17. Canal Street looks pretty similar to what it did in 1916!

Fun fact: by 1910, New Orleans had also firmly established itself as the operating center for two powerful banana-importing companies! New Orleans in the 1910s saw major growth in innovation and technology, even while battling a potential bubonic plague outbreak. This is a truly fascinating (and diverse) era in NOLA history!

For even more peeks into New Orleans history, we've also compiled 21 vintage photos of Mardi Gras throughout the years, as well as historic photos of New Orleans in the 1940s. In fact, feel free to peruse these snapshots of history from the cozy, elegant comfort of this "Politics" themed vacation rental!

https://www.onlyinyourstate.com/louisiana/vintage-mardi-gras-pics-la/