Join us for our December Gallier Gathering with Ann Masson!

The French Opera House was built by James Gallier Jr. in 1859 and was lost to fire in 1919. New Orleans was the first city to bring opera to the United States, and the opera house stands throughout history for its architectural, musical, and cultural significance. When fire destroyed the French Opera House, what did the loss of the building mean for the communities who frequented it as well as French Quarter preservationists? 1919 thus became a pivotal point in New Orleans’ preservation movement.

About the speaker:

Ann Masson is the former executive director of the Gallier House Museum and the Preservation Research Center as well as an adjunct professor and associate director at Tulane University’s School of Architecture. She is a respected and renowned historian, teacher, author, and preservationist who has served on many boards and committees related to historic preservation and protection of the French Quarter.

Image: William Woodward (American, 1859-1939), Old French Quarter Opera House, 1906. Rafaelli oil crayon on board. Image courtesy Neal Auction Company.