As most figured, this is definitely view down Canal Street in New Orleans towards the lake. Several of these buildings still exist. At least one business also still exists: Werlein's Music (they moved to the other side of Canal after this photo was taken (that building now houses the Palace Cafe restaurant), and in the 1980's moved the suburbs.

Note that drays are traveling in both directions on the downtown side of the neutral ground, a situation that lasted into the early automobile days.

We featured this picture as our weekly photo quiz on www.forensicgenealogy.info. Diane Burkett and Arthur Hartwell, a couple of our top Quizmasters, pointed out that the Godchaux tower was close to the photographer, and that there is no break in the awnings to indicate the picture was taken on the river side of the corner of Canal and Dorsiere Sts.

Diane found that Godchaux's was then located at 527 Canal (the street has since been renumbered), and that the most likely location for the photographer was from the upper stories or roof of Stauffer, Eshleman & Co., 519 Canal St. This is now the location of the Marriott. Diane consulted the Sanborn Fire Insurance Maps to come up with this conclusion.

www.forensicgenealogy.info/contest_294_results.html

I am from New Orleans, and have featured several NO pictures in my weekly quizzes. A couple have come from Shorpy. To see them, scroll down the answer page (linked above), and look for the box in the right margin near the bottom.

Colleen Fitzpatrick
Quizmaster General
Forensic Genealogy
www.forensicgenealogy.info

H.B. Stevens (Est. 1860) merged with Porter's on Baronne Street to become Porter Stevens in the 1970s. It is the oldest men's clothing store in New Orleans. The building in the picture was built in the early 1880s.

Here's another view of the same building.
http://www.porterstevens.com/

Leonard Krower has a fine set of them holding up the roof.

This is one of the world's great party cities. In fact, next Tuesday Kairha and I embark on a 10 day road adventure, ending up in N.O. And I recently found out that on my birthday (Tuesday, week) the entire city has gotten together to organize a huge celebration for me!

With parades and everything! What a city!

I think this photo was shot from atop the Custom House. It is looking towards the lake. The big building in the middle still stands at Carondelet and Canal. Find the building with the storm shutters, directly to the right of the picture, towards the bottom. It is the oldest building still standing on Canal Street. It is at the downriver, lakebound corner of Canal Street and Decatur Street. It is now a Wendy's or an Arby's.

I spent Christmas in New Orleans with the girlfriend, and was surprised to find out that the city has the oldest functioning streetcar system in the country -- when other cities began giving them up in the 1930s, N.O. hung onto its.

And ... GEAUX SAINTS! A lifelong dream has been realized.

Or is the fellow in shirtsleeves and a bowler, standing on the roof of the building behind Dalsheimer's, just getting a breath of air while enjoying the view?

I never fail to marvel at the lack of vertigo apparent among some of the folks caught in these frozen moments. The window washers and roof-ridge-walkers couldn't possibly have realized that they were being included in a camera shot at the time the photograph was taken. Were people that much less fearless then?

Very apt posting a pic of old New Orleans here. If my Steelers can't win the Super Bowl this year, then Go Saints!

All you knowledgeable people impress me! Is that the spire from Saint Louis Cathedral visible behind the building that says H.B. Stevens?

Shorpsters were once described by our host as "a school of fact-checking piranhas." I saw this pic about an hour after it was posted and there were already 37 guesses and most were correct. Way to go Shorpsters!

I believe we are looking at Canal and Camp streets.

View Larger Map

on Canal Street. Business is good!

[The number of cable cars in this photo is zero. These are electric streetcars. - Dave]

How about Shreveport, La.? According to Shelden's Jobbing Trade & City Offices (published in 1901), the firm operated at 43 Leonard St.

http://books.google.com/books?id=4yrZAAAAMAAJ&pg=PA117&lpg=PA117&dq=%22S...

A short session of Google-business-name-triangulating suggests it's Canal Street, Mew Orleans.

[Funny, you're the second cat to guess Mew Orleans. - Dave]

By looking at that white building with the rounded corner, about a block from the Orpheus Theater, I would say this was Canal Street in New Orleans. If that building is on Carondelet Street, that's got to be it!

Although I've never been to Louisiana, some brief research indicates that this photo is of St. Charles Street in New Orleans.

A Google search of Searcy and Pfaff printers (displayed here across a 3rd-story window) led to an incredibly-informative biography of William Pfaff.

http://files.usgwarchives.org/la/orleans/bios/p-000002.txt

"On November 1, 1889, Mr. Pfaff, then only eighteen years of age, became associated with his brother-in-law, David J. Searcy, in the operation of a little job printing establishment occupying one room on the third floor of a building on St. Charles Street, near Gravier."

Could it be? Will some true New Orleans people confirm?

Looks like Canal Street. A load of cotton seems to be in the middle of the pic.

We're apparently seeing a scene from Leonard Street in bustling New Orleans.

http://books.google.com/books?id=4yrZAAAAMAAJ&pg=PA117&lpg=PA117&dq=%22l...

Anyone from Nawlins able to tell us if that street's been renamed?

Canal street New Orleans La Identified by the streetcars, cotton bales and Searcy & Pfaff printer business. Future home of the Saints! Who Dat?

Canal Street, Mew Orleans.

Canal Street, New Orleans.

http://www.neworleanspast.com/ads/id49.html

That's Canal Street in New Orleans. In the foreground we have 76-78 Canal, the former home of S. Dalsheimer & Co., which was illustrated in "New Orleans and the New South," by Andrew Morrison. Mr. S.E. Worms was the resident partner, and it looks like he took over the business eventually.

"The engraving which illustrates this matter hardly does justice to the premises they occupy - premises themselves indicating a house which is conspicuous by reason of the business done by it throughout the trade territory of New Orleans."

A Google search on '"S. E. Worms" notions' turned up this entry from Google Books on the undated (apparently late 1800s) book "New Orleans and the New South": http://books.google.com/books?id=xrY-AAAAYAAJ&pg=PA107&lpg=PA107&dq=%22S...

The building's 76-78 Canal Street address is helpfully noted right under a charming blue-ink drawing on page 107 of the same building seen here in the photo.

And for extra credit, here is a Google Street View of roughly the same address today: http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&hl=en&q=78+Canal+Street,+New+orleans,+la...

Canal Street, New Orleans. Found this stereo photo from long ago ...

http://content.cdlib.org/ark:/13030/kt4b69p81d/?order=2&brand=calisphere

Canal Street, in New Orleans. Personally, I've never been there, but searching for "Leonard Krower" shows he was a prominent jeweler in the city.

Krower Wholesale Jewelers (@ left) and the Bucklin Advertising Concern (obscured sign @ right) both appear to have been New Orleans firms.

A few - not 100% convincing - Web sources put Krower at 111 Exchange Place (at Canal).

It looked like a Southern city even before I saw the cotton bales. Most likely Canal Street in New Orleans.

On Canal Street, New Orleans.

Orleans.

Leonard Krower had a shop at 536-538 Canal Street in New Orleans.

Notions on 76 & 78 Canal Street.

Canal Street in New Orleans

Canal Street, New Orleans

Looks like New Orleans, here's a pic
http://content.cdlib.org/ark:/13030/kt4b69p81d/?order=2&brand=calisphere

Canal Street, New Orleans

What did I win?

This looks like New Orleans, LA., at least according to Google. S. E. Worms and Leonard Krower companies were both there in this time frame.

Leonard Krower Jewelers building was my clue.

Canal Street.

It looks like thats Leonard Krower @ 536 Canal Street in New Orleans, LA (ad for them here: http://www.neworleanspast.com/ads/id49.html)

Canal Street, New Orleans

Main Street in Charlottesville, Virginia.

http://files.usgwarchives.org/la/orleans/bios/p-000002.txt

Never been there, don't know if it looks like it or not.

Canal Street in New Orleans? Found this through google: http://www.neworleanspast.com/ads/id49.html

is New Orleans.

New Orleans? I think it is!