FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Media Contact:

Savannah Teague
DEVENEY
steague@deveney.com
504-949-3999 ext 225

NEW ORLEANS - The Gallier Historic House Museum, 1132 Royal Street, will offer specialized tours that interpret post funeral habits of the 19th-century beginning Sept 29. Tours are offered weekdays (closed Wednesdays) at 10 and 11 a.m., noon, 1 and 2 p.m. and Saturdays (closed Sundays) at noon, 1, 2 and 3 p.m.

Grief descended upon the Gallier household in October 1866, when news arrived that patriarch James Gallier, Sr., and his second wife drowned at sea aboard the S.S. Evening Star. The passenger steamship, destined for New Orleans from New York, sank in a late-season hurricane off the coast of Georgia.

The Gallier Historic House Museum will be in mourning as we commemorate the death of the senior Galliers. During the Victorian era, almost every aspect of everyday life, from clothes to china, were changed to reflect the family's grief. The front entry of the home was swathed in black crepe, as were mirrors and the deceased's portrait. Clocks were stopped at the hour of death, and even children's toys reflected the solemn mood. Displays of distinctive funeral attire and many Victorian mourning articles will provide visitors to the Gallier House with an uncommon look into the past.


PROGRAMMING AND TOURS:

For admission prices, group tour appointments and to purchase tickets in advance, please visit hgghh.org.

On Thursday, Oct. 27, at 6 p.m. John Magill, renowned local historian, will deliver a lecture at the Gallier House on the "Artistry of Death: The Cult of Mourning in the Nineteenth-Century South." Using vivid illustrations and artifacts, Magill will offer insight on the elaborate tombs, death notices, decorative arts, clothing, and jewelry that protocol and fashion dictated in the era of the Galliers' misfortune. The lecture is free and open to the public. For reservations and more information, please email rsvp@hgghh.org.

Gallier House consulted with New Orleans historian Sally Asher to construct a tour that includes information about the Evening Star. Asher researched the shipwreck and the Galliers' deaths as part of her two recently published books, Hope & New Orleans: A History of Crescent City Street Names (2014) and Stories from the St. Louis Cemeteries (2015).

Access photos and cutlines of Mourning Tours Exhibit here: https://www.dropbox.com/sh/4bzkn00g7p2uk8u/AADwS2hcXs0QOrbDlHgPztsSa?dl=0

###

The Gallier House at 1132 Royal Street was designed and built in 1857 by James Gallier, Jr., one of the most prominent architects of 19th century New Orleans.


The Woman's Exchange purchased the Hermann-Grima House in 1924 and acquired the Gallier House in 1996. The non-profit organization's mission is to continue the legacy of the former Christian Woman's Exchange (established in 1881), by restoring and maintaining the houses, and interpreting their contribution to and place in New Orleans. Ac-credited by the American Alliance of Museums, the Hermann-Grima + Gallier Historic Houses are a leading authority on historic preservation, offering educational, entertaining and interactive programming in the world-renowned French Quarter.

New Orleans: 1582 Magazine Street | New Orleans, LA 70130
West Palm Beach: 1025 Sunset Road | West Palm Beach, FL 33401