The Gulf South Decorative & Fine Arts Database
A Wealth of Historical Knowledge at Your Fingertips
There is an allure to the Gulf South, that je n'ais ce quoi feeling. It draws you in and asks you to linger. You don’t necessarily have to set foot in one of the states bordering the Gulf of Mexico to feel the enigmatic pull. From Louisiana to Alabama, Mississippi above, and slivers of Texas and Florida along the edges — “South of the South” is a state of mind. Sometimes referred to as a cultural gumbo, the region is a showcase of American diversity and hybridity. And while there is widespread admiration for its culinary and literary traditions, its historical objects are less well-known. Yet, it should be no surprise that artifacts with local ties reflect intriguing social crossroads. Extant 18th and 19th-century pieces are all the more valuable for the information they contain. You may be surprised to learn that there are thousands of these objects waiting for lovers of history to tell their tales. The Gulf South Decorative & Fine Arts Database aims to facilitate our access to them by digital means.
The Gulf South Decorative & Fine Arts Database focuses on the material culture of Southern states who have a shoreline along the Gulf of Mexico with primary attention given to Louisiana, Mississippi, and Alabama. To be considered for inclusion, objects must have a known provenance from the 18th century up to 1865. The database is hosted online by the Louisiana Digital Library and managed by The Historic New Orleans Collection (THNOC).
Gulf South Decorative & Fine Arts Database
The Gulf South Decorative & Fine Arts Database[i] focuses on the material culture of Southern states who have a shoreline along the Gulf of Mexico with primary attention given to Louisiana, Mississippi, and Alabama. To be considered for inclusion, objects must have a known provenance from the 18th century up to 1865. The database is hosted online by the Louisiana Digital Library and managed by The Historic New Orleans Collection (THNOC). Access is free and open to all. There, you can discover catalogued items from private residences to museums and even civic buildings. Along with accompanying text, the content includes high-resolution images. Many an item features multiple viewings that show details such as construction clues and maker’s marks – a real treat for any researcher. You can browse by object type, style, material, place, etc. Enter “armoire” in the search box and be amazed by the examples available. The resulting page will underscore how the furniture form is characteristic of the Gulf region. Look closer at each form, and you’ll notice nuances that reveal French, Caribbean, and Anglo-American influences.
Grassroots Origins
Photograph of fellow Emily Wells continuing to catalogue during Hurricane Barry. The “Gothic sideboard” was purchased from Charles White of Philadelphia in 1845.
Classical Institute of the South, 2019
You may be wondering about the origins and compilation of all this data. After all, the concept of an online object database is a relatively new frontier. In 2011, New Orleans attorney Paul Haygood saw the need to document the Gulf South’s surviving fine and decorative arts. He was inspired by the cataloguing efforts of the MESDA Object Database and decided to establish the Classical Institute of the South (CIS). The foundation has aimed to gather and share the history of the Gulf South via material culture. In 2016, CIS was incorporated into The Historic New Orleans Collection, which continues to support the original mission in honor of its founder.
Every summer since inception, the CIS team have performed field surveys conducted by two graduate fellows under the guidance of a curator. While on-site, they document furniture, paintings, ceramics, textiles, glass, silver, and other historical items. The in-person examinations include descriptions, measurements, photographs, and noting provenance whenever possible. These objects are then further researched and finally added to the growing Database. (I was fortunate enough to be a 2019 fellow and can attest to the great work CIS does year-round to make this content accessible. In particular, THNOC curator Sarah Duggan has been kept busy as the supervising coordinator for several years).
Many of these catalogued items are held in private hands, with the Database being the only publicly available listing. Since most pieces are still located in homes, many objects are documented in situ. An excellent example is when CIS inventoried the contents of the Butler-Greenwood Plantation in St. Francisville, Louisiana. The house contained a period parlor suite from the mid 19th century. All the furnishings were original to an 1861 purchase order including rosewood furniture with tufted upholstery, damask draperies, giltwood pier mirrors, floral carpetry, and lily curtain tiebacks. Fortunately, this rare Rococo Revival interior was later acquired by New Orleans Museum of Art as part of their permanent collection.
A Distinctive South
Photograph of period parlor interior at Butler-Greenwood Plantation, 2014. The room contents are now in the care of the New Orleans Museum of Art.
Image courtesy of The Historic New Orleans Collection (THNOC).
The Database not only stimulates interest in the Deep South, but it also fosters dialogue and scholarship about the complex narrative of the region. Sometimes Southern culture is grouped into one general descriptive brushstroke. However, the Gulf region has a distinct sensibility in comparison to the rest of the American South. Previous French and Spanish settlements have left an indelible mark despite Anglo-American hegemony. Meanwhile, the economic and social impact of 19th-century expansion continue to loom in the collective heritage. As the objects catalogued in the Database reflects, the Gulf South was an intersection of Creolization, African and Acadian traditions, Mississippi River trade, continued Caribbean connections, and a growing taste for Northeastern goods. Such mingling resulted in a curious assortment of luxury and utilitarian objects either made or imported to the area.
Used wisely, the Database becomes a portal to a treasure trove of knowledge. The gathered information is at the ready, waiting for fresh interpretation by scholars, students, collectors, and enthusiasts alike.
Do you have a collection of interest that would enrich the Gulf South database? Contact the Classical Institute of South for further discussion.
Photograph of fellow Courtney Christy cataloguing a Gothic Revival armchair at Magnolia Hall in Natchez, Mississippi.
Classical Institute of the South, 2019
Photograph of a 19th-century dining room containing original wallpaper.
Classical Institute of the South, 2019
Decorative Arts Databases of Interest
The documentation of historical objects is an invaluable resource for the study of American material culture. Below are a few online databases currently available with a focus on the decorative arts.
Gulf South Decorative & Fine Arts Database
“The Classical Institute of the South (CIS), a permanent project at The Historic New Orleans Collection, is dedicated to documenting and sharing information about historic decorative arts in the Gulf South. Its cataloging field work focuses on objects made or used in Louisiana, Mississippi, and Alabama from the 18th century through the Civil War. These artifacts, usually located in private residences or smaller local museums, enhance our understanding of life in the past. CIS staff and graduate fellows conduct field work around the region every summer, documenting new objects to add to the database.”
Museum of Early Southern Decorative Arts Database
“The MESDA Object Database contains descriptions, data, and approximately 100,000 photographs of nearly 20,000 objects—in both private and public collections—that were made in the early American South.”
The Boston Furniture Archive 1630-1930
“The Boston Furniture Archive documents furniture created in Boston during the city’s first three hundred years. Explore the Archive’s growing database of objects from collections in Massachusetts and beyond.”
Wisconsin Decorative Arts Database
“This digital resource reflects Wisconsin's wide variety of immigrant and indigenous traditions, encompassing a broad range of artifacts including furniture, ceramics, metalwork, quilts and needlework as well as beadwork, basketry, woodcarving and marquetry made in Wisconsin between 1820 and 1930.”
About the Author: Courtney Ahlstrom Christy is Co-Editor of Worthwhile Magazine and Principal Appraiser of Ahlstrom Appraisals LLC. Courtney can be reached at ahlstromappraisals.com.
© Courtney Ahlstrom Christy 2020
[i] For ease of reading, the Gulf South Decorative & Fine Arts Database is referred to in this article as “Database.”