618-622 Ursulines St.

Note: Interesting data concerning Mr. Alaux, may be referred to as follows:

New Orleans Its People & Its Environs - Delgado - Feb. 14 - April 29, 1962

New Orleans City Guide - W.P.A. 1938 - p. 103

Louisiana A Guide to the State - W.P.A. - 1941 - p. 166

Cabildo Guide - 1934 pp. 54, 56, 72

The following oil portraits by A. Alaux hanging in the Presbytere in August 1958: Edward J. Gay, Reginald Dykers

Alexandre Alaux died 8/9/1932 aged 81. See Times Picayune 8/10/1932 p. 2 c. 6 and p. 3 c. 4

Marie Alaux died 8/16/1958. Times Picayune - May 13, 1923.

Louisiana Scrapbook No. 8 - p. 5-6 in Howard Tilton Memorial Library

The Times Democrat - May 8, 1904 p. 13 c. 3-4

Contemporary Art and Artists in N.O. - Cline - 1924 p. 5

Times Democrat - Oct. 24, 1904 p. 5 c. 2-3

Alaux Tomb - St. Louis No. 1 - Isle 5 left

Delgado Art Museum Project - W.P.A.

Historical Sketch of Art in Louisiana - Ben Earl Looney - La. Hist. Quarterly - Vol. 18 - p. 384

Signature of Mr. Alaux - Boyd Cruise Collection

"Alexander Alaux - died August 9, 1932. One of his finest historical paintings was standing in his studio at 620 Ursuline Street, unfinished... The artist's two daughters, Marie and Louisa, who have been their father's assistants since their early childhood, promised him as he lay dying that not only the present picture, but all the great historical paintings that had been ordered to complete the series, would be finished... Alexander Alaux was buried in St. Louis Cemetery No. 1... in the great home on Ursuline street where the family of Alaux had lived since 1859... Marie Alaux does most of the painting, and it is Louisa's task to do the research... The picture that Mr. Alaux left unfinished is "The Battle of Buena Vista,"... It is to be hung in the state capitol of Mississippi, the third of a series of nine paintings, showing various epochs in the history of the state. The two already hung in the capitol show Governor Claiborne and Gen. Wilkinson leaving Natchez to assume control over the Territory of Louisiana; and the discovery of the Mississippi by De Soto. The Battle of Buena Vista measures 9 by 15 feet. Born in 1851 in Commercy, in the province of Lorraine, Alexander Alaux... As a young man he came to New Orleans and studied in the ateliers of Ciceri, Philastre and Bernard. Later he went to Brussels and studied at the Academie Royale des Beaux Arts, and it was in Brussels that his daughters Marie and Louisa were born. At the Academie Royale he was awarded the laurel crown upon his graduation... and he also won first prizes in anatomy and archeology at the Cours Sts. Marguerite in Brussels.

Leopold II, king of the Belgians, decorated him with a gold medal, and paintings of his are hung today in the gallery of Leopold II, and also in the museum of Arlon, Belgium. When he was only 18 years of age he exhibited at the exposition held at the old Fair Grounds in New Orleans, and won four silver medals.

He became a famous miniaturist, but his greatest distinction was won in the execution of large panorama paintings of historical subjects.

For some years his daughters have been devoted, but anonymous assistants. Though the monogram of Marie Alaux is tucked away in a corner of many of these great panoramic scenes... "

(Photograph of Marie and Louisa in front of the unfinished picture).

"CASA LALANDE 620 URSULINES ST.
At the next corner we should turn to our right, in the direction of the river, so we may inspect an interesting and very old Spanish casa, to be recognized instantly by the fan-shaped affair of pointed spikes on the ancient wrought-iron balcony grillage, the garde de frise that keeps possible intruders from entering the second story windows. This casa was the old home of a celebrated family of old New Orleans, the de La Lande de Ferriéres. Just when Nicolas Louis de La Lande erected this typical home is not quite certain. What we do know is that he was murdered on his own doorstep by a pirate and that his heirs sold the casa to Eugene Fortier in 1818.

The Lalande casa is typical Spanish construction having a central hallway with spacious living rooms opening on it from either side, and in the rear is the largest patio to be found in the Vieux Carré. Following the Fortier family, Arnaud Magnon called the old Lalande place home.

In 1833 the widow of Jean Baptiste Poeyfarré (her husband's jaw-cracking name is to be found on one of the city's streets in the business section) moved here and it remained her residence until 1846. In 1850 the old casa was rented to the city for school purposes and for many years youngsters of this section of the city here learned their three R's and played, during recess time, in the big courtyard, the largest in the Old Square."

"Architect's drawing of garden proposed for site of old Gaiety Theatre, corner of Royal and St. Philip. Walls of movie house, rebuilt after 1937 fire, would be taken down to tops of brick piers belonging to much older factory building that formerly occupied this plot. Deep, landscaped lot would become side garden of the 620 Ursuline complex currently being restored."

In New Orleans
The Nuances of Locale Preserved in the French Quarter

"Mansion on the market
The asking price for this mansion at 620 Ursulines St. in the French Quarter - $5.5 million - is believed to be the highest price ever sought for a residence in the New Orleans area. The house, built in 1819 and owned by Frederick B. Ingram, who now lives in London, will be sold fully furnished, according to the real estate firm Sotheby Parke Bernet of Atlanta. It contains 12,660 square feet of living area in 16 rooms. A former slave quarter attached to house has been converted to a pool house. In addition to the swimming pool, the property, spread over three lots, includes formal gardens. The interior was decorated several years ago by Valerian Rybar."

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