The Winterthur Library

The Joseph Downs Collection of Manuscripts and Printed Ephemera

Henry Francis du Pont Winterthur Museum, Winterthur, DE 19735

302-888-4600 or 800-448-3883

OVERVIEW OF THE COLLECTION

Creator: Williams, C. Milo (Charles Milo), 1867-1954.

Title: Photographs of New Orleans and Louisiana

Dates: ca.1890-ca.1910

Call No.: Col. 860

Acc. No.: 09x105

Quantity: 62 items

Location: 18 C 1

BIOGRAPHICAL STATEMENT

C. Milo Williams (1867-1954), a native of New Orleans, was an engineer and architect. He was a local pioneer in the use of reinforced concrete for residences and built many homes in the Carrollton section of New Orleans, where he also lived. He was the son of William H. Williams, a native of Cincinnati who moved to New Orleans in 1848. The father was also an engineer and was married to Lavinia Pollard, the daughter of Charles Pollard of Virginia.

C. Milo practiced architecture with his older brother William C. Williams (b.1860). Among the buildings they planned were the Quarantine buildings at Cubbitt Gap, the Louisiana Furniture factory in New Orleans, the Felicity Street Methodist Episcopal church, and a large number of private residences. In addition to his professional activities, Williams was also active in musical and dramatic activities and was an amateur photographer.

On December 6, 1897, C. Milo married Blanche Virginia Blanchard (1866-1959), an artist (she did a portrait of Pres. Grover Cleveland), an accomplished harpist, vocalist, actress, and poet, and the daughter of Dawson and Harriet Ann Talley Blanchard of New Orleans. Mr. and Mrs. C. Milo Williams had at least two sons, Milo Blanchard Williams (1898-1960) and Lavinius LaSalle Williams (1900-1976), who became an attorney.

SCOPE AND CONTENT

A collection of 62 modern photographs, printed from the original glass plate negatives, taken by C. Milo Williams of houses, churches, a school, a railroad depot, and views of Louisiana, primarily of the Carrollton area of New Orleans. Of greatest interest are the interior views of homes of members of the Williams and Blanchard families. In these, one finds typical middle class furnishings of the late 19^th century, with the addition of a great deal of art work in the Blanchard home because their daughter Blanche was an artist. Also found are exterior views of homes, many of which were built by C. Milo or William C. Williams. As well, one group of photos depicts the Mississippi River at high water. Taken from the levee, the photos show the river flowing above the homes and buildings of Carrollton. Another group of photos records the 1892 Columbus Day celebration at McDonogh School No. 23. One photo shows African American men at work on a levee, while two photos show workers in sugar cane field. Each photo has an accompanying information sheet which identifies the people, the buildings, or the view in the photo.

ORGANIZATION

The photos are grouped by subject: homes of the Williams and Blanchard families, the McDonogh School no. 23, and scenes around New Orleans, Carrollton, and Louisiana.

LANGUAGE OF MATERIALS

The materials are pictorial. Information sheets are in English.

RESTRICTIONS ON ACCESS

Collection is open to the public. Copyright restrictions may apply. Permission to copy must be obtained from owner.

PROVENANCE

Transferred from DAPC; reprints from glass plate negatives held by the Louisiana Landmarks Society.

RELATED MATERIALS

Papers of and photos taken by C. Milo Williams are at Tulane University and the New Orleans Public Library.

ACCESS POINTS

People:

Blanchard family.

Williams family.

Topics:

African Americans - Louisiana.

Art in interior decoration.

Columbus Day.

Dwellings - Louisiana - New Orleans.

Dwellings - Photographs.

Interior decoration - Photographs.

Levees - Louisiana - New Orleans.

Pets - Photographs.

School children - Louisiana.

Sugarcane.

Teachers - Louisiana.

Mississippi River - Photographs.

New Orleans (La.) - Buildings, structures, etc. - Pictorial works.

New Orleans (La.) - Photographs.

New Orleans (La.) - Schools.

New Orleans (La.) - Social life and customs.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE COLLECTION

Location: 18 C 1

Note: all accession numbers begin with 09x105.

Folder 1: Oaklawn, home of William H. Williams and then of C. Milo Williams, 1035 S. Carrollton Ave.

.1 “Oaklawn,” with C. Milo Williams’ sons Lavinius and Milo in front, ca.1904

.2 “Oaklawn,” view of front porch and lawn

.3 “Oaklawn,” extended family in parlor enjoying music played by Espy Williams and May Pollard Williams (brother and sister of C. Milo)

.4 “Oaklawn,” extended family in parlor (rearranged grouping of people in .3)

.5 “Oaklawn,” some of family in parlor, enjoying music of C. Milo and brother William C. Williams, their mother is knitting

.6 “Oaklawn,” front parlor, looking from library

.7 “Oaklawn,” entrance hall and staircase

.8 “Oaklawn,” a bed chamber

.9 “Oaklawn,” dressing table, screen, probably in a bed chamber

.10 “Oaklawn,” family group on lawn, including cat and dog

.11 “Oaklawn,” brother and sister William C. and May Williams with dog and cat

Folder 2: Dawson A. Blanchard house, Magazine and 4^th St.

.12 Dawson A. Blanchard house, parlor, with Blanche V. Blanchard and her parents, Dawson A. and Harriet Ann Talley Blanchard; includes paintings by Blanche and a piano

.13 Dawson A. Blanchard house, parlor looking into dining room, with more paintings by Blanche

.14 Dawson A. Blanchard house, with Blanche’s harp and more of her paintings

.15 Dawson A. Blanchard house, parlor, with piano, corner fireplace, and camera reflected in mirror

.16 Dawson A. Blanchard house, parlor, with piano, corner fireplace

Folder 3: Espy Williams houses, 921 S. Carrollton Ave. and 1626 S. Carrollton Ave.

.17 Espy Williams house (921), Espy and wife Nan Bowers Williams with children in parlor

.18 Espy Williams house (921), view from one parlor into the other

.19 Espy Williams house (1626), exterior view

.20 Espy Williams house (1626), hall and staircase

.21 Espy Williams house (1626), view into dining room and glimpse of staircase

Folder 4: scenes around New Orleans

.22 ice on Mississippi River at Carrollton, February 18, 1899, with Blanche and others

.23 snowfall on Carrollton Avenue, February 15, 1895

.24 Nathaniel Wilkinson house, 1015 S. Carrollton Ave., front façade, with people and dog in garden, lilies in bloom

.25 Nathaniel Wilkinson house, exterior of house and view of garden

.26 Carrollton Railroad depot (St. Charles Ave. at Dublin St.), and beyond that the Carrollton Hotel, with mule-drawn street car inside the depot

.27 Carrollton Railroad depot, with people outside

.28 Carrollton Hotel (Levee St., between Madison and Carrollton Ave.)

.29 George J. Porter home, Levee St. at Monroe St.

.30 Carrollton business district and levee, with men and boys

Folder 5: McDonogh School no. 23, Columbus Day program [1892]

Note: the children and teachers are wearing Columbus Day ribbons. See Col. 741 in this repository for an example of one of these ribbons. This celebration was part of the National Public School Celebration of Columbus Day, held Oct. 21, 1892.

.31 McDonogh School No. 23 (originally built as Carrollton Courthouse; later renamed Benjamin Franklin High School), S. Carrollton Ave, between Maple and Hampson Streets, with bunting, a platform with benches and chairs, and some people

.32 McDonogh School No. 23, side view, with flags and other decorations

.33 McDonogh School No. 23, with boys, men, and women on steps

.34 McDonogh School No. 23, school program on Columbus Day, with students and other onlookers

.35 McDonogh School No. 23, parade of school children on Columbus Day, all wearing kepis and a printed ribbon

.36 McDonogh School No. 23, school teachers outside building, Columbus Day

Folder 6: scenes around Carrollton, Mississippi at high water

.37 wagon with load of lumber on a street in Carrollton

.38 view of Carrollton, with electric street cars

.39 view of levee at Carrollton, ca. 1891

.40 building new levee at Carrollton, with African American laborers, probably 1891

.41 levee at Carrollton, Mississippi River at high water on one side, buildings on other, 1897

.42 flooded buildings in Carrollton, 1897

.43 flooded shack along Mississippi River, Carrollton, 1897

.44 high waters on the Mississippi River at Carrollton, with people on levee, buildings in background

.45 high water on the Mississippi River at Carrollton, with men on levee, piles of lumber, some boats in water

.46 high water on the Mississippi River at Carrollton, with building on stilts above water, other buildings on dry side of levee

Folder 7: scenes around Louisiana

.47 Felicity Street Methodist Episcopal Church, Felicity St. at Chestnut St., New Orleans

.48-.49 St. Paul’s Episcopal church, Camp and Gaienne St., New Orleans, after a fire

.50 Metairie Cemetery, tomb of the Louisiana Division of the Army of Tennessee, with staute of Albert Sydney Johnston, after 1887

.51 house at 1406 General Taylor, corner of Prytania St., exterior view

.52 Judge Mark M. Boatner house, 6262 Prytania St., corner of Calhoun St., exterior view; house designed by C. Milo Williams

.53 George K. Smith house, 7931 Plum St., Carrollton, exterior view, with women and children on front porch, ca.1910; designed by C. Milo Williams

.54 Mrs. Collins house, 8015 Plum St., Carrollton, view of front porch with C. Milo’s family, ca.1905; designed by C. Milo Williams

.55 workers in sugar cane field, Laplace, St. John the Baptist Parish

.56 workers and mule-drawn carts in sugar cane field, Laplace, St. John the Baptist Parish

.57 house on sugar cane plantation, Laplace, St. John the Baptist Parish

.58 4 people in front of ruins of de la Ronde plantation house, Chalmette, St. Bernard Parish, before 1915

.59-.62 John D. Shaffer house, exterior views, Ardoyne plantation, Terrebonne Parish; designed by William C. and C. Milo Williams