Boats and swing on Bayou Faleau, near Galliano (between 1973 and 1974) by Douglas Baz and Charles H. TraubThe Historic New Orleans Collection
Charles H. Traub (1974) by Douglas BazThe Historic New Orleans Collection
“Looking at photographs always rekindles experiences of the past, and what has surfaced from that past is the complete joy of discovery we felt in our work.” —Douglas Baz and Charles H. Traub
Some 45 years ago, Douglas Baz and Charles H. Traub, graduates of the master's program in photography at the Institute of Design / Illinois Institute of Technology in Chicago, spent over six months documenting Cajun culture.
Their approach reflected both their fine arts training and social insight into the unique culture they encountered in southwestern Louisiana.
Douglas Baz (1974) by Charles H. TraubThe Historic New Orleans Collection
Boy with birdhouse, Vermilion Parish (1974) by Douglas Baz and Charles H. TraubThe Historic New Orleans Collection
The thousands of photographs they made in 1973 and ’74 offer both aesthetic delight and a window into Acadiana at the vanguard of what would become a decades-long period of economic growth, cultural exposure, and assimilation into mainstream America.
Grouped into five broad themes—work and play, tradition and change, food and music, land and water, and courir de Mardi Gras—the pictures in Cajun Document represent the artists’ visual response to what they observed.
Net rack at the Dardars' camp, Fala (between 1973 and 1974) by Douglas Baz and Charles H. TraubThe Historic New Orleans Collection
Schwet's Cafe, Breaux Bridge (between 1973 and 1974) by Douglas Baz and Charles H. TraubThe Historic New Orleans Collection
Baz and Traub photographed with three formats of black-and-white film (35 mm, 6 cm, and 4 x 5 in.).
They immersed themselves in the day-to-day life of Acadiana, seeking out specific events and landscapes but also discovering subjects when they were invited into people’s lives, homes, and workplaces.
Seine fishing (between 1973 and 1974) by Douglas Baz and Charles H. TraubThe Historic New Orleans Collection
Cajun Document exhibit installation 1 (Jun-20) by John H. Lawrence and The Historic New Orleans CollectionThe Historic New Orleans Collection
Cajun Document: Acadiana, 1973–74 represents the largest showcase of this work to date. This online version covers a little more than 25 percent of the gallery installation.
Map of Acadiana (2020) by Tana Coman and The Historic New Orleans CollectionThe Historic New Orleans Collection
Where Is Acadiana?
The state of Louisiana recognizes 22 parishes outlined on the map at left as Acadiana. Data pertaining to Francophone heritage suggests a more fluid shape, tinted light green. All the places named on this map—with the exceptions of New Orleans and Baton Rouge, which are included for reference—are depicted in the images of Cajun Document. Orange represents coastal land loss that has occurred since 1932 (data courtesy Louisiana Geological Survey, LSU).
Work and Play
Oil drilling, Atchafalaya Basin (between 1973 and 1974) by Douglas Baz and Charles H. TraubThe Historic New Orleans Collection
Oyster boat, Gulf of Mexico (between 1973 and 1974) by Douglas Baz and Charles H. TraubThe Historic New Orleans Collection
Moss-gin worker, Labadieville (between 1973 and 1974) by Douglas Baz and Charles H. TraubThe Historic New Orleans Collection
Russell P. Vaughn repairing a hoop net, Labadieville (1974) by Douglas Baz and Charles H. TraubThe Historic New Orleans Collection
Trail ride on the levee road (1974) by Douglas Baz and Charles H. TraubThe Historic New Orleans Collection
Decoy maker (between 1973 and 1973) by Douglas Baz and Charles H. TraubThe Historic New Orleans Collection
Country store, Mamou (between 1973 and 1974) by Douglas Baz and Charles H. TraubThe Historic New Orleans Collection
Spade (between 1973 and 1974) by Douglas Baz and Charles H. TraubThe Historic New Orleans Collection
Food and Music
Edwin Broussard at La Poussiere, Breaux Bridge (1974) by Douglas Baz and Charles H. TraubThe Historic New Orleans Collection
Mama Thibo, Thibo's Restaurant, Breaux Bridge (1974) by Douglas Baz and Charles H. TraubThe Historic New Orleans Collection
Breaux Bridge Crawfish Festival, Breaux Bridge (between 1973 and 1974) by Douglas Baz and Charles H. TraubThe Historic New Orleans Collection
Clifton Chenier, Mamou (between 1973 and 1974) by Douglas Baz and Charles H. TraubThe Historic New Orleans Collection
Boucherie, Abbeville (between 1973 and 1974) by Douglas Baz and Charles H. TraubThe Historic New Orleans Collection
Nathan Abshire with Sady Courville and musicians, live broadcast for KVPI-AM, Fred's Lounge, Mamou (1974) by Douglas Baz and Charles H. TraubThe Historic New Orleans Collection
Land and Water
Oil rig, Terrebonne Parish (between 1973 and 1974) by Douglas Baz and Charles H. TraubThe Historic New Orleans Collection
Hebert Cemetery, Galliano (between 1973 and 1974) by Douglas Baz and Charles H. TraubThe Historic New Orleans Collection
Boy with snake, Four Mile Bayou (between 1973 and 1974) by Douglas Baz and Charles H. TraubThe Historic New Orleans Collection
Assumption Parish (between 1973 and 1974) by Douglas Baz and Charles H. TraubThe Historic New Orleans Collection
Barge, Atchafalaya River (between 1973 and 1974) by Douglas Baz and Charles H. TraubThe Historic New Orleans Collection
Vermilion Parish (between 1973 and 1974) by Douglas Baz and Charles H. TraubThe Historic New Orleans Collection
Aerial view, Atchafalaya Basin (between 1973 and 1974) by Douglas Baz and Charles H. TraubThe Historic New Orleans Collection
Tradition and Change
Teenagers at Carencro Raceways, Carencro (between 1973 and 1974) by Douglas Baz and Charles H. TraubThe Historic New Orleans Collection
Bride and groom, Breaux Bridge (between 1973 and 1974) by Douglas Baz and Charles H. TraubThe Historic New Orleans Collection
Creole woman, Mansura (between 1973 and 1974) by Douglas Baz and Charles H. TraubThe Historic New Orleans Collection
Virgin Mary, Mansura (between 1973 and 1974) by Douglas Baz and Charles H. TraubThe Historic New Orleans Collection
Mrs. Patin with quilt, Breaux Bridge (between 1973 and 1974) by Douglas Baz and Charles H. TraubThe Historic New Orleans Collection
19th-century shotgun house (between 1973 and 1974) by Douglas Baz and Charles H. TraubThe Historic New Orleans Collection
Rose "Rosa" Jackson Pierite, Tunica-Biloxi tribe, with longleaf pine needle baskets, near Marksville (between 1973 and 1974) by Douglas Baz and Charles H. TraubThe Historic New Orleans Collection
Joseph "Bill" Theriot with his paintings, Les Contes des Acadiens, Breaux Bridge (between 1973 and 1974.) by Douglas Baz and Charles H. TraubThe Historic New Orleans Collection
Pirogue, Atchafalaya Basin (between 1973 and 1974) by Douglas Baz and Charles H. TraubThe Historic New Orleans Collection
Phil's Slaughter House (between 1973 and 1974) by Douglas Baz and Charles H. TraubThe Historic New Orleans Collection
Courir de Mardi Gras
Courir de Mardi Gras, Mamou (between 1973 and 1974) by Douglas Baz and Charles H. TraubThe Historic New Orleans Collection
Courir de Mardi Gras, Mamou (between 1973 and 1974) by Douglas Baz and Charles H. TraubThe Historic New Orleans Collection
Courir de Mardi Gras, Mamou (between 1973 and 1974) by Douglas Baz and Charles H. TraubThe Historic New Orleans Collection
Nathan Abshire, courir de Mardi Gras, Mamou (between 1973 and 1974) by Douglas Baz and Charles H. TraubThe Historic New Orleans Collection
Courir de Mardi Gras, Mamou (between 1973 and 1974) by Douglas Baz and Charles H. TraubThe Historic New Orleans Collection
Cajun Document exhibit installation 2 (Jun-20) by John H. Lawrence and The Historic New Orleans CollectionThe Historic New Orleans Collection
All photographs © Douglas Baz and Charles H. Traub.
This virtual exhibition was assembled by the staff of The Historic New Orleans Collection to complement a larger physical exhibition set to open when The Collection’s galleries reopen. Visit www.hnoc.org for updates on the reopening plans.
The exhibition’s companion catalog features essays by Baz and Traub and curator John H. Lawrence. More information can be found at https://www.hnoc.org/publications/books/cajun-document.
The catalog may be purchased at https://hnoc.tamretail.net/SelectSKU.aspx?skuid=1015414.
