Mardi Gras, "Mistick Krewe of Comus" Epicurean floats

TITLE: Mardi Gras celebration in New Orleans, Tuesday, March 6 - Procession of the "Mistick Krewe of Comus" [Epicurean floats], CALL NUMBER: Illus. in AP2.L52 1867 [Case Y] [P&P]

REPRODUCTION NUMBER: LC-USZ62-62521 (b&w film copy neg.), No known restrictions on publication.

Digital ID: cph 3b10164 Source: b&w film copy neg. Reproduction Number: LC-USZ62-62521 (b&w film copy neg.) Repository: Library of Congress Prints and Photographs Division Washington, D.C. 20540 USA Retrieve uncompressed archival TIFF version (1,518 kilobytes)

MEDIUM: 1 print : wood engraving. CREATED/PUBLISHED: 1867. Works published prior to 1978 were copyright protected for a maximum of 75 years. See Circular 1 "COPYRIGHT BASICS" from the U.S. Copyright Office. Works published works before 1923 (THIS IMAGE) are now in the public domain.

Mistick Krewe of Comus, From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

(founded in 1856) is a New Orleans, Louisiana Carnival krewe. Prior to the advent of Comus, Carnival celebrations in New Orleans were mostly confined to the Roman Catholic Creole community, and parades were irregular and often very informally organized.

The Mistick Krewe of Comus also originated another Carnival tradition: the so-called Meeting of the Courts. The practice originated in 1892, when Rex (the King of Carnival) and his Queen paid a formal visit to the throne of Comus. This ritualized meeting eventually evolved into the symbolic conclusion of the Mardi Gras season, a practice which continues to this day.

Although Rex is the titular "King" of Carnival, observers believe that the Meeting of the Courts -- in which Rex leaves his own festivities and is received by a seated Comus at the Mistick Krewe's bal masque -- establishes Comus as the more prestigious of the two organizations in the Carnival hierarchy. This article is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License. It uses material from the Wikipedia article, Mistick Krewe of Comus.

NOTES: Title and other information transcribed from caption card. Illus. in: Frank Leslie's illustrated newspaper, vol. 24, no. 601 (1867 Apr. 6), p. 41. Reference copy may be in LOT 4446. Caption card tracings: La.--N--O--; Shelf.

REPOSITORY: Library of Congress Prints and Photographs Division Washington, D.C. 20540 USA. DIGITAL ID: (b&w film copy neg.) cph 3b10164 hdl.loc.gov/cph.3b10164 , CARD #: 99614058

MARC Record Line 540 - No known restrictions on publication.

Credit Line: Library of Congress, Prints & Photographs Division, [reproduction number, LC-USZ62-62521]