“Our overall goal in New Orleans is pretty ambitious,” declared Daniel Hammer, president and CEO of the Historic New Orleans Collection. “Our mission is to steward the history and culture of New Orleans and the region, and to do it in a way that is relevant and meaningful to everyone who thinks of New Orleans as a place that is important to them.”
The HNOC has several aspects to it. Most publicly, it is a French Quarter museum and gallery, with a cozy little café thrown in. It also serves as a research center, both in person and online. It is a multi-faceted partner to education institutions from elementary school through the universities. Last but hardly least, it publishes a variety of historic and new, original manuscripts.
“Everybody who lives in the region, and every tourist who comes here, will find something of interest here,” commented Heather Hodges, HNOC’s Director of Internal and External Relations. “They will be able to educate themselves about New Orleans.”
Hodges’ position is new to the organization. “My role is to raise awareness about the Collection with the public,” she explained. “I also develop specific partnerships and collaborations, with neighborhoods, researchers, community groups, and other museums.”
While HNOC was founded in 1966, it maintains currency through its many and varied exhibits, drawing on the more than one million items in its collection. Recent examples include a commemoration of the 150th anniversary of the Rex parade and the current display highlighting Tennessee Williams renowned Streetcar Named Desire. Most of its exhibits and programs are provided free of charge.
HNOC has expanded considerably in recent years, and now operates three different campuses in the French Quarter, filling more than ten historic structures. The highlight is the new 36,000 square foot exhibition center at 520 Royal Street, featuring interactive, 21st-century technology in an 1816 building.
While HNOC focuses on residents first, Hammer observed that “there is a very large population of people who care about New Orleans. This is a place that people relate to, where they see a connection to their own histories.”
Although Hammer estimates that about eighty percent of visitors to the museum and galleries are tourists, he added, “We engage a much larger percentage of the local population through our activities.” These include workshops for local teachers, presentations in schools, lectures and other types of events and programs.
Over the course of the pandemic, HNOC has moved more of its offerings online. This includes some of the workshops, lectures and other programs, and is particularly true of the research component.
“The amount of access to our holdings through the internet means we are reaching more people,” said Hammer. “We want our resources and holdings to be as accessible as possible to anybody and everybody. It sets us apart from other institutions.”
Also expanding HNOC’s reach is a newly-increased focusing on the publishing component. “Our publications operation has really grown,” Hammer noted. “Initially it was a way to support our exhibitions and research, but now we have expanded to publishing books that seek to interpret the history and culture of New Orleans.”
HNOC’s book offerings include an artist biography series and a musician biography series, telling the stories of local cultural creators. Hot off the press is a graphic novel about Oscar Dunn, the first Black Lieutenant Governor of Louisiana – or of any U.S. state.
“It’s exciting for us to publish in that format,” said Hammer, noting that more works in this format will be forthcoming. “It’s accessible to young people in a way that our previous publications were not.”
Authors interested in having their works on regional art, music, culture or history printed can submit manuscripts through the HNOC website, www.hnoc.org. The site is a wealth of information about New Orleans and southeast Louisiana, as well as the events and resources of the Collection. It also provides access to the HNOC shop, which offers a unique selection of local books, music, jewelry, crafts and much more.
“We encourage people to reach out to us, “said Hodges. “We are eager to engage all stakeholders. We are documenting, preserving and sharing the history of the region for them.”
