The Palatka daily news. (Palatka, Fla.) 1884-1888, 1888-02-18
THE NEW ORLEANS CARNIVAL.
Year Spent 10 Preparation Of the
Rep:essi a'o,s.
New orleans Times-Demoerat.

New Orleans Times-Demoerat.
Tomorrow introduces carnival week
To-day is the luliabefore the festivities of
New Orleans chief holiday, for in the
next two days must be crowded the en-
ioyments and pleasures of several weeks.
For nearly year past the various car
nival societies and associations have been
engaged in preparing for their displays.
1t is far more difficult and tedious
work than the oIltside public. which
knows nothing of these mysteries, inn
agines ia work which requires the full
twelve months for success. The choice
of a subject alone is difficult matter.
In the last thirty-seven years, during
which the New Orleans carnivals have
been celebrated by street parades and
professions as to-day, nearly every pos
sible subject has been represented, and
il viii not do to give over again scenes
and tableax once exhibited. Every IA
nous poem, the Odyssey, Illiad. the
4Eneid, all the authors of ancient and
modern time, the Bible, Homer. Virgil,
Milton, Scott and Dickens, the histories
of Egypt, Rome, France. Greece and
| Mexico have been represented. The
sixty odd parades that have been given
| here have. indeed, covered nearly all the
| subjects that can be imagined, and it
| requires skill, taste and judgment to Sc
Iect new and suitable ones.
And when selected, the difficult task
commences OF designing appropriate
| tableaux and scenes, devising the proper
costumes and decorations. The carni-
| val associations of New Orleans take
such pride in their displays that they in
sist upon the most correct costuming
and mounting. There must be no an
achronism, nothing to shock the anti
quarian acquainted with the history of
each scene represented. Perhaps, the
crowds does not appreciate all this care
and attention which requires that the
| very shoes worn, the minutest item of
dress or apparel to be correct as to the
time, the country and the character rep
resented.
1t was believed of old that the de-
| signs for these scenes and the dresses to
be worn in them. could not be made in
New Orleans, or. for that matter, in
America, and they were generally made
by Paris c)stumers. But Nsx Orleans
has learned much of the art of theatre
cal decoration and fancy work of late
years, and now nearly its entire carnival
outfit is made here. 1t is work, as we
have already said, of many months, en-
ploying many hands, artists, designers,
painters, carpenters and costumers.
They have the details of their work at
their fingers ends, are fully up with the
costumes of all ages and people, know
just what decorations will show to best
advantage, and by long years of study
are able to turn out display, which,
with due modesty, we can boast is the
best of its kind in the world. 1t is
largely on account of lack of such ar
fists and artisans that the various at
tempts at celebrating the carnival else
where have failed. 1t takes years to ed
ucate these people into what is an art
and profession. The first attempts are
naturally crude, and it is only with long
experience that success is finally
achieved. The best displays given in
other cities have beenIsimply the warmed
over and resurrected tableaux of a New
Orleans carnival, bought secondhand
and fixed up, as far as possible, to look
like those here.
Nearly the whole work is now done
in this city, and New Orleans can turn
out as fine ,papier mache, as good theat-
rical wardrobes and scenic effects as
Paris. For all this, it has become the
centre in America.
The floats having been built and dec.
grated, the dramatis persona drilled in
their several parts, the procession
marches out from the quiet yard where
for nearly year, it has been in prepare
ton, and bursts on the city and the
strangers within its gates in all its glory.
For the success of the New Orleans
carnival we have, therefore, these two
elements, not to be found elsewhere
full knowledge of the art of decoration
and artistic display, and community
naturally gay and pleasure loving.