Furnishing Louisiana: Creole and Acadian Furniture, 1735-1835

It is no secret that New Orleans and the surrounding region have long been a hotbed of creativity, giving rise to the careers of many artists, musicians, and writers, but little attention has been given to the remarkable decorative arts and craftsmen of this area. From the early 18th through the mid-19th centuries, distinctive cabinetmaking traditions developed in the Mississippi River valley through a melding of French, Anglo-American, Caribbean, Canadian, and African influences. Furnishing Louisiana stands as a tribute to the region’s cultural diversity and remarkable artistry.

Louisiana’s earliest colonial furniture hewed closely to French models. Yet an influx of immigrants at the turn of the 19th century—refugees from the Haitian Revolution, Anglo-Americans drawn south and west in the wake of the Louisiana Purchase—had a striking impact on the region’s crafts. The fusion of acculturated European craftsmanship and contemporary Anglo-American fashion produced a novel aesthetic in the New World—a Louisiana Creole style. And while highly refined cabinet work emerged from cosmopolitan New Orleans, another tradition was developing to the west, on the Acadian prairies. Informed by distant memories of France and recent memories of Canada, modified by Louisiana’s climate and available materials, Acadian furniture stands alongside Creole craftsmanship as an enduring reflection of a time, a place, and a people.

This elegant, beautifully designed work boasts more than 1,200 full-color illustrations, a comprehensive catalogue of furniture forms, and contextual essays on cabinetmakers, materials, techniques, trade, and the interiors of early Louisiana homes.