Archaeological Investigations

Brass Shingle

During excavation, this brass shingle was found near the bottom of the well. Archival research completed in the 1970s shows that two Alfred Grimas practiced law in New Orleans in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. The first Alfred Grima, son of Felix Grima, was born in 1838, attended L.S.U. Law School, was admitted to the Bar on March 23rd, 1880, and died in 1891. The second Alfred Grima, son of the above Alfred Grima, was born in 1885, admitted to the Bar on May 17th, 1906, and died in 1945.

According to the New Orleans city directories, Alfred Grima, the elder, lived at the Hermann Grima house all of his life, whereas the younger Alfred Grima may have lived there only as a child, but never lived there as a practicing attorney. This indicates that the shingle found on the property probably represented the father and not the son.

Grima Button

One button, which was found in the well, seems by all accounts to date to the Grima period of occupation. This metal brass button has a Crown over an anchor on the front, and a black mark that reads "Firmin & Sons, 153 Strand, London".

Firmin and Sons is one incarnation of a business that has been in continuous existence as a button and uniform accessory maker since it was founded in London in 1677 by Thomas Firmin. The name of "Firmin and Sons" has only been used by this company since 1875, indicating that this button postdates that time. Further support for this theory can be found in London directories, such as Dickinson's Dictionary of London, by Charles Dickens, Jr., which lists Firmin & Sons as being located at 153 Strand in the late 1800s. 

Clay Pipes

Hundreds of pieces of clay pipe stems and bowls were found throughout the excavation at Hermann-Grima House. Analysis of materials and style has shown that the pipe pieces pictured all date to the period between 1830 and 1860. The intact pipe is from the museum’s collection.

Mocha Annular Ware

Another popular form of pearlware is the horizontal banded design known as annular wear, which was commonly used on jugs, mugs, and bowls. Different forms of annular where were produced between 1895 and the early 20th century. Of particular interest is a form of annular where called Mocha, which first made an appearance in 1799 and continued to be popular into the second half of the 19th century, with the height of its popularity being in the 1840s.

Mocha ware is distinguished from other annular wares by a fern-like motif, which, in addition to the bands of color, decorates the body of the ceramic piece. This fronded design was created by applying a mixture of tobacco juice and urine to the piece before glazing and firing it for the second time.

Tea Sets

Not all toys were purely for use as playthings. Some objects could educate and help a child practice for his/her future role in life as they played. One such object is a tea set, part of which is pictured. The Hermann and Grima girls, like many of their peers, would have been trained in both the domestic arts and social skills; a miniature tea set was useful during such training. Archaeologists found the tiny milk pitcher in the courtyard area, and the pieces of the saucer in the well.

Dolls

In the 19th century, porcelain dolls were very popular with young girls. Although dolls made from other materials, such as cloths, corn husks, and wax, did exist during the same period, pieces of porcelain dolls are much more likely to survive in the hot, humid, and wet climate of New Orleans. The doll's foot below was found in the well; the piece of a doll's arm or leg was found in the stable yard; and the tiny hand was found in the courtyard area in front of the cistern.

Pearl-handled Pocketknife

As evidenced in catalogs and advertisements from the 1800s, personal knives of this type were readily available in the mid- and late 19th centuries. This pocketknife has two blades and a pearl handle. Many variations exist, however; pocketknives of one to five blades with handles of bone, shell, ivory, or horn also were available.

Shell-edge Ceramics

Another popular type of pearlware ceramic decoration that is abundant in the Hermann-Grima artifact collection is shell-edge ceramic. First produced in the 1770s by Wedgwood, this form was most popular in the early 1800s but its manufacture continued into the 1840s.

Shell-edge ceramics were decorated in a very simple manner, often with a colored underglaze, most commonly blue, being painted on the rim of each piece. The paintbrush is drawn from the rim towards the center of the peace, creating a heavier color on the outside edge. The rim itself varies in appearance; some rims are smooth, while others have raised lines, bridges, or beads.

New Orleans Exposition Souvenirs

In December of 1884, the World's Industrial and Cotton Centennial Exposition began in New Orleans at the site of what is now Audubon Park. Business leaders organized expositions and fairs in the South to show the world the industrial and commercial potential of Southern cities after Reconstruction. The New Orleans exposition had the added enticement of celebrating the supposed 100-year anniversary of the first shipment of cotton exported from America.

Suffering from technical and financial problems, the exposition closed in June of 1885. In an effort to offset the debt created during the first try at this failed exposition, it reopened under the name "North, Central, and South American Exhibition", with the expanded goal of exploring the potential of South and Central American trade and investments for Gulf Coast port cities like New Orleans. The second incarnation of the New Orleans exposition closed its doors for good in April of 1886.

The pieces of this blue glass pitcher are marked "N. O. Exposition 1885". This pitcher was one of many commemorative items that visitors from the Exposition could purchase. Since the remnants were in the well, one can assume that a member of the Grima family attended the exposition and brought the picture home as a souvenir.

Marbles

For hundreds of years children and adults have enjoyed the game of marbles, and it continued to be popular in the 19th century. Archaeologists discovered marbles in multiple places on the property during excavation; these included over one hundred pieces in the well. Most were made of clay and had some form of decoration on them.