Battle of New Orleans comes to Tuscaloosa

The purse once owned by a guest's grandmother.

Subtlety was one of the ever-present subtexts in last night's ball drawing attention to the 200th anniversary of the Battle of New Orleans. This fact reminded me often of our nation's complicated historical past and present.

A hand-drawn map of the epic battle led by Andrew Jackson was presented at the event, which was held at Tuscaloosa's historic Jemison Mansion. The map is one of several images posted here. Jemison House Manager and the ball's host Ian Crawford is the artist.

I look forward to  leading two separate conversations about the ball with students enrolled in my Antebellum American and Gender, Race and the Urban Space courses this week.

One especially memorable moment was entering Jemison and immediately noticing the purse of one guest. It was once owned by her grandmother (the Sherlock Holmes-like coat my husband wore was once owned by his father). Time and memory both seemed to be dislocated in such objects among other things at the ball, which received inspiration in part from Crawford
following the advice of his step-mother who pushed
him to follow his dreams.

This signage points to leisure moments in antebellum America.

A close up of the insert inside the invitation.

The invite to ball was printed on elegant paper.

Shield at entrance to Jemison.

Crawford's hand-drawn depiction of battle on canvas.