Join us for an in-person talk by Heather Veneziano on the history of St. Louis Cemetery No. 2. Tickets include entrance to the lecture and complimentary wine.
About this Event
Founded in 1823, St. Louis Cemetery No. 2 is one of the oldest established cemeteries in the City of New Orleans. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1975 for its numerous architecturally important tombs and monuments, and it was later listed on the Louisiana African American Heritage Trail in 2008 for its high level of cultural significance. Additionally, the third of the three squares (between Bienville and Iberville streets) is considered to be the largest collection of outdoor monuments to African Americans in the United States, with the World Monuments Fund describing the cemetery as one of the finest collections of antebellum mortuary art arranged in an orthogonal grid. This dynamic landscape holds the memory of thousands of New Orleanians and has a rich history to uncover. This lecture will provide a glimpse into the narrative of the landscape through an exploration of archival records, primary and secondary sources, and cutting-edge documentation techniques.
About the Speaker
Heather Veneziano is an architectural historian and cultural heritage advisor with the preservation-consulting firm of Gambrel & Peak, as well as a Professor of Practice and Interim Associate Director of the Historic Preservation program of Tulane School of Architecture.
Veneziano is also an award-winning author, an accomplished editor, and a contributor to several published works focused on cemetery studies and the architecture of the Gulf South. Her research and expertise are focused on cultural heritage sites, vernacular architecture and deathscapes, with a strong emphasis on historic preservation and placemaking.
She currently serves on the Executive Council of the Louisiana Historical Society, the Vieux Carré Commission, the Louisiana Chapter of the Association for Gravestone Studies, and the Collective for Radical Death Studies.