Resources for Research in New Orleans

AMISTAD RESEARCH CENTER
Tilton Hall, Tulane University
6823 St. Charles Ave, New Orleans LA 70118
504-862-3222, fx: 504-865-5580
8:30-5:00 M-F, 1-5 Sat.
Reference Desk Email: reference@amistadresearchcenter.org
The center is a manuscripts library for the study of race relations and ethnic history and culture. Houses more than 10 million documents, 20,000 volumes and significant art holdings.

ARCHDIOCESAN ARCHIVES
Archdiocese of New Orleans
1100 Chartres St, New Orleans LA 70116-2596
504-529-2651, fx: 504-529-2001
By appointment
Charles Nolan, Archivist, contact archives@archdiocese-no.org
The archives has four main sections: sacramental and cemetery records (1718 – ca. 1900); archdiocesan historical records (Spanish colonial period – present); several manuscript collections (e.g., Baudier Collection); and a small research library. The archives serves as the archdiocesan records management office.

ARCHIVES OF THE DOMINICAN CONGREGATION OF ST. MARY
580 Broadway, New Orleans LA 70118
504-861-8155
By appointment
Sr. Dorothy Dawes, O.P., Archivist; contact dmdawes@accesscom.net
Dominican Sisters records from 1860.

ARCHIVES OF THE SISTERS OF MERCY
301 N. Jefferson Davis Pky, P.O. Box 19024
New Orleans LA 70179
504-483-5000
By appointment
Sr. Mary Hermenia Muldry, Archivist
Records of the order and Southern branch convents.

CARMEL ARCHIVES
420 Robert E. Lee Blvd, New Orleans LA 70124-2596
504-524-2398
Sister Thérèse Gregoire
Records of the congregation, 1833 to present.

CITY ARCHIVES
New Orleans Public Library
219 Loyola Ave, New Orleans LA70112-2044
504-596-2610; fx: 504-596-2609
11:00-6:00 M-Th, 11:00-5:00 Sat.
Irene Wainwright, Archivist
Official municipal archives for the City of New Orleans (1769 to date); repository for Orleans Civil (1804-1926) and Criminal (I 83 0-193 1) Courts; map and photograph collection; card indexes to obituaries and news items in local newspapers (1804-1972); nonarchival manuscripts, rare books, genealogy, and carnival collections.

HISTORIC NEW ORLEANS COLLECTION, WILLIAMS RESEARCH CENTER
410 Chartres St, New Orleans LA 70130
504-598-7171, fx: 504-598-7168
10:00-4:30 Tu-Sat.
Collections reflect aspects of the history and culture of the Gulf South, Louisiana, and New Orleans. Research fields include colonial Louisiana, Louisiana Purchase, Civil War, cartography, plantations, urban development, Louisiana artists, architecture, jazz, French Quarter, and Mardi Gras.

JACKSON BARRACKS MILITARY LIBRARY
Office of the Adjutant General, Building 53, Jackson Barracks, New Orleans LA 70146-0330
504-278-8241, fx: 504-278-6554
Appointment preferred; 7:303:30 M-F
Sherrie Pugh
State of Louisiana military history.

JAZZ & HERITAGE FOUNDATION ARCHIVE
1205 N. Rampart St, New Orleans LA 70116
504-522-4786
By appointment
Rachel Lyons, Archivist, contact archive@jazzandheritage.org
Documentation on the foundation’s programs and enterprises including the Jazz & Heritage Festival, Congo Square Lecture Series, Heritage School of Music and WWOZ radio station.

JEAN LAFITTE NATIONAL HISTORICAL PARK AND PRESERVE
365 Canal St, Suite 3080, New Orleans LA 70130-1142
504-5893882 x 114 fx: 504-589-3851
by appointment.
Kathy Lang, Curator
Chalmette National Cemetery records, archeological research and documentation, historical studies, cultural diversity studies of the lower Mississippi delta, natural history studies of the park’s land holdings.

LOUISIANA STATE MUSEUM – LOUISIANA HISTORICAL CENTER
P.O. BOX 2448,751 Chartres St, New Orleans LA 70176-2448
504-568-3660
By appointment
Sarah-Elizabeth Gundlach
French Superior Council (1704-1769) and Spanish judicial records (1769-1803). Also social, political, economic, medical conditions of Louisiana, 18th century to the present.

LOUISIANA STATE UNIVERSITY MEDICAL CENTER
John P. Isché Library
433 Bolivar St, Box B3-1, New Orleans LA 70112-2223
By appointment
Institutional records and faculty personal papers.

LOYOLA UNIVERSITY, SPECIAL COLLECTIONS AND ARCHIVES
University Library, 6363 St. Charles Ave, New Orleans LA 70118
504-865-3186, fx: 504-865-3347
8:30-4:45 M-F
Art Carpenter, Archivist
Documents the university, New Orleans Province of the Society of Jesus, social justice, and environmental activism.

NEW ORLEANS FIRE DEPARTMENT MUSEUM
1135 Washington Ave, New Orleans LA 70130
504-658-4713
9:00-2:00 M-F
Log books documenting fire department personnel and New Orleans fires 1891 – present.

NEW ORLEANS NOTARIAL ARCHIVES RESEARCH CENTER
1340 Poydras Street, Suite 360, New Orleans LA 70112
504-680/9604, fax: 504-680/9607
9:00-4:00 MF
Yvonne Loiselle, Archivist
The Notarial Archives, a state agency, holds more than 35 million pages of notarial contracts (1731 to presemt). Also preserves many colorful maps, blueprints, topographical elevations, and design drawings. Records increase by about 50,000 acts yearly.

NUNEZ COMMUNITY COLLEGE ARCHIVES
3700 LaFontaine St, Chalmette, LA 70043
504-278-7440 x 244, fx: 504-278-7484
By appointment
Patrick Davis, Librarian
Records of Nunez Community College, St. Bernard Parish Community College, Nunez Vo-Tech Institute, Frank Fernandez papers, St. Bernard Parish history.

SISTERS OF THE HOLY FAMILY COLLECTION
6901 Chef Menteur Hwy, New Orleans LA 70126
By appointment
Sr. M. Boniface Adams, Archivist
Sisters of the Holy Family and their work.

SOUTHERN UNIVERSITY, CENTER FOR AFRICAN & AFRICAN-AMERICAN STUDIES
6400 Press Dr, New Orleans LA 70126
504-284-5550 or 504-286-5384
9-1 M-F
Florence Borders, Archivist
Archives focusing on Africa and the African-American experience and an extensive African art collection.

TOURO INFIRMARY ARCHIVES
Gumbel Bldg., Chestnut and Aline Streets
Mailing address: 1401 Foucher St, New Orleans LA 70115
504-897-8090, fx: 504897-8322
94 Tu-Thur.
Catherine C. Kahn, Archivist
Founded by Judah Touro in 1852, Touro Infirmary is New Orleans’ oldest private hospital. Its collection (1852 to present) includes the hospital’s historical records, annual reports, minute books, 19th-century admission records and photographs. Artifacts include early medical instruments and nursing uniforms.

TULANE UNIVERSITY
Howard-Tilton Memorial Library
New Orleans LA 70118-5682
504-865-5685, fx: 504-8656773
8:30-5:00 M-F, 9:00-1:00 Sat.
Tulane pioneered the modem collection archives movement in New Orleans beginning in 1889. Since then, Tulane’s early collecting efforts have evolved into a suite of special archival resources.

Unless otherwise notes the above contact information applies to all of the following Tulane archives:

HOGAN JAZZ ARCHIVE, 504-865-5688, Bruce Boyd Raeburn, Curator. Primary and secondary material pertaining to jazz music. Includes records and papers, oral histories, recorded music, photographs, sheet music, and clippings.
LATIN AMERICAN LIBRARY, 504-8655681, fx: 504-862-8970; Hortensia Calvo, Director. Manuscript collections about Latin America, especially Mexico and Central America.
TULANE MANUSCRIPTS DEPARTMENT, 504-247-1819, Susanna Powers, Manuscripts Librarian. New Orleans’ most comprehensive collection archives, with almost four linear miles of documents from the founding of the city to the present. Focus includes Carnival, Colonial Louisiana, Civil War, Jewish studies, Louisiana politics, medical history, social welfare, Southern literature, waterways, and women’s studies.
NEWCOMB COLLEGE CENTER FOR RESEARCH ON WOMEN, 504-865-5238, fx: 504-8628948, Susan N. Tucker, Curator. Official archives of Newcomb College. Also preserves documents on women’s education and experiences.
SOUTHEASTERN ARCHITECTURAL ARCHIVE, 504-247-1806, Keli Rylance, Curator. As a repository for architectural records of the Gulf South region, SEAA preserves plans and drawings, photographs, and office records of architectural firms dating from the 1830s through the 1980s, representing more than 200 architects.
TULANE UNIVERSITY ARCHIVES, Ann E. Smith Case, University Archivist. Preserves official records of Tulane University and information about Tulane. Includes theses, dissertations, catalogs, publications, presidential papers, and other university records.

UNIVERSITY OF NEW ORLEANS, ARCHIVES AND MANUSCRIPTS/SPECIAL COLLECTIONS
Earl K. Long Library, New Orleans LA 70148
504-280-6543; fx: 504280-7277
8:00-4:30 M-F, 10:00-2:00 Sat., appointment suggested
Florence Jumonville, Department Chair
The official archives of the university, the Louisiana State Supreme Court, the Orleans Parish School Board, and The Chamber of New Orleans and the River Region. The main focus of the unit is on 20th-century ethnic and business records of New Orleans.

URSULINE CONVENT ARCHIVES AND MUSEUM
2701 State St, New Orleans LA 70118
504-866-0200
By appointment
Sr. Joan Marie Aycock, Archivist
The Ursuline Community and the Ursuline Academy of New Orleans.

XAVIER UNIVERSITY ARCHIVES AND SPECIAL COLLECTIONS
7325 Palmetto St, New Orleans LA 70125
504-520-7655, fx a504-520-7917
9:30-5:00 M-F
Lester Sullivan, University Archivist and Assistant Librarian for Special Collections
The University Archives preserves official records of the university. Special Collections contains archival holdings on African-American history, the American South and the Gulf-Caribbean region, and U.S. Catholicism.