When people think of New Orleans, they envision the complex ironwork of balcony railings in the French Quarter or the delicate lacelike gates of the city’s cemeteries. It is the city’s florid ironwork that gives New Orleans its unmatched, memorable beauty. But few people realize that most of this ironwork was created in the antebellum South—the golden age of Southern culture—by black slaves.
Negro Ironworkers of Louisiana, 1718-1900 examines the history of African-American ironworkers in Louisiana. It is the first in-depth study of the sophisticated blacksmith skills for which most Negro ironworkers were not appreciated. Christian examines the development of agricultural and metallurgical technology in Africa, the slaves who brought those technologies to the United States, and the ironworkers’ roles in the making of New Orleans.
About the Author
Regarded as the unofficial poet laureate of the New Orleans African-American community, the late Marcus Christian recorded a distinguished career as a historian, journalist, and literary scholar. He was a contributor to Gumbo Ya-Ya, and his writing and poetry have appeared in numerous newspapers, journals, and general-interest publications.
NEGRO IRONWORKERS OF LOUISIANA, 1718-1900
By Marcus Christian
ARCHITECTURE / Domestic
ARCHITECTURE / Methods & Materials
96 pp. 5 1/2 x 8 1/2
20 photos 2 illustrations Appendixes Notes
ISBN: 9781589801189 pb