History:  Cabildo Exhibit Opens Monday At Old courthouse Museum, 1999,
Natchitoches Parish La
Submitted by: Suzanne Shoemaker

Many Thanks to the Natchitoches Times for allowing the LaGenWeb to use this
article



**********************************************
Copyright.  All rights reserved.
http://usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm
http://usgwarchives.net/la/lafiles.htm
**********************************************
 


The Natchitoches Times Article
July 30, 1999 issue.


CABILDO EXHIBIT OPENS MONDAY AT OLD COURTHOUSE MUSEUM

     Louisiana reclaimed its past when the Cabildo, the National Historic
landmark wherein the Louisiana Purchase was finalized, reopened on Feb. 27,
1994, following a painstaking restoration in the wake of a 1988 fire.
     Since then, thousands of individuals have visited the State Museum's
flagship property and learned about Louisiana's fascinating past in the
beloved building that bore witness to so much of the state's, and nation's,
history.
     The "Very Illustrious" Cabildo, a new traveling exhibit created by the
Louisiana State Museum to bring the story of the Cabildo into communities
statewide, will be on view at Old Courthouse Museum from August 2 to August
28.
     Designed to evoke the famous structure's distinctive architecture, the
six-panel exhibit presents the history of the Cabildo as a microcosm of the
history of Louisiana.  Over 50 historic images, photographs and
architectural renderings are used to tell the story of the many people and
nationality group who came together to create the Cabildo and Louisiana's
famous "gumbo" of cultures.
     An illustrated time line graphically portrays Louisiana's evolution from
a European colony to an American state, with an emphasis on events that have
occurred in and round the 200-year-old landmark.
     For a more people-oriented view, an interactive "Visit to the Cabildo"
panel features photos of artifacts on view at the Cabildo in New Orleans.
     Among these are images of a Chitimacha Indian basket, an African
headdress, and an embroidered bee from Napoleon's coronation robe.
     The "Very Illustrious Cabildo":  Witness to Two Centuries of Louisiana
History, was created by State Museum curator Wayne Phillips with exhibit
designer Patrick Burns.  It was developed under the supervision of Tamra
Carboni, Museum director of public programs.
     An accompanying worksheet was developed by the State Museum's education
department to assist school teachers in explaining the multicultural
aspects of the exhibit.
     Funding for the traveling exhibit was provided by the Friends of
Cabildo, Associates of the Louisiana State Museum.
     The "Very Illustrious" Cabildo is available for display in libraries,
schools and other venue across the state for a nominal fee.
     For more information on the exhibit, or on booking it, contact the State
Museum at (504)568-6968.