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Unveiling the Muse: The Lost History of Gay Carnival in New Orleans

Amazon.com Price:  $43.02 (as of 02/05/2019 12:54 PST- Details)

Description

Traditional Carnival has been well documented with a vast array of books published at the subject. On the other hand, few of them, if any, mention gay Carnival krewes or the role of gay Carnival within the larger context of the season. Howard Philips Smith corrects this oversight with a beautiful, vibrant, and exciting account of gay Carnival.

Gay krewes were first formed in the late 1950s, growing out of costume parties held by members of the gay community. Their tableau balls were steadily held in clandestine locations to keep away from harassment. Even by the new millennium, gay Carnival remained a hidden and almost lost history. Much of the history and the krewes themselves were devastated by the AIDS crisis. Whether facing police raids in the 1960s or AIDS in the 1980s, the Carnival krewes at all times came back every season. A culmination of two decades of research, Unveiling the Muse positions this implausible story within its proper place as an amazing and important facet of traditional Carnival.

Based on years of detailed interviews, every of the major gay krewes is represented by an in-depth historical sketch, outlining the founders, moments of brilliance on stage, and a list of all of the balls, themes, and royalty. Of critical importance to this history are the colorful ephemera associated with the gay tableau balls. Reproductions of never-before-published brilliantly designed invitations, large-scale commemorative posters, admit cards, and programs add dimension and life to this history. Sketches of elaborate stage sets and costumes in addition to photographs of ball costumes and rare memorabilia further support descriptions of these tableau balls.

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