Cities of the Dead: The History of New Orleans Cemeteries

With Heather Veneziano of Tulane University

In this illustrated lecture of New Orleans cemetery history, explore how cemeteries developed, their placement in the city, and how a cross section of influences shaped the places we see today.

New Orleans cemeteries are among the city’s most recognizable landscapes, but their distinctive appearance is the result of far more than a single burial tradition. In this illustrated lecture, Heather L. Veneziano, Director of the Historic Preservation Program at Tulane University, explores how New Orleans cemeteries developed, why they are located where they are, and how architecture, geography, religion, culture, and changing attitudes toward death shaped the places we see today.

From early burial grounds and churchyards to the development of the city’s municipal and religious cemeteries, the lecture will examine the origins of above-ground tombs; the influence of French, Spanish, Caribbean, African, and American traditions; and the ways the city’s geography, urban expansion, public health concerns, and social customs affected where and how New Orleanians buried their dead. Along the way, Veneziano will consider tomb architecture, cemetery planning, family and society tombs, and the ongoing challenges of preserving these remarkable cultural landscapes.

Sponsored by the Library Foundation of New Orleans.

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