From Broadway to Lombard to the Vegas stretch, cities are defined by their famous streets, and no street represents a city quite like New Orleans's Bourbon St.
A hub of music, dance and diverse culture, Bourbon street has been the epicenter of New Orleans's French Quarter, and the place to be on Mardi Gras, since before you were born.
Here are 22 pics of vintage Bourbon Street from before you could have walked it.
1
The Cabaret Theater
400 Bourbon Street, 1968.
2
Bourbon Street
Mardi Gras, 1950s.
3
Corner of Bourbon and Orleans Street
New Orleans, May 1958.
4
A sidewalk Bar
On Bourbon Street in New Orleans, 1969.
5
Cleaning Up
After Mardi Gras, 1963.
6
Bourbon Street
New Orleans, May 1958.
7
Mary Jean Jaeger and Michelle Hall dance above Shalyi Vereen
A block party on Bourbon Street, 1984.
8
Organ Grinder's Audience
Bourbon and Ursuline Streets, New Orleans, 1925.
9
Bill Austin and Barbara Curtis
Wearing a Bourbon Street costume, on Mardi Gras in 1960.
10
Hotsy Totsy Club
Bourbon St, 1963.
11
Bourbon St, New Orleans
June 17, 1952.
12
Bayou Pom Pom Grocery
701 Bourbon Street and St. Peters Street. New Orleans, 1937.
13
501 Bourbon
Al Hirt’s Club.
14
Bourbon Street
New Orleans, 1946.
15
A Reveler on Bourbon Street
Outside of the Hurricane Bar and other drinking establishments.
16
Hotel Bourbon on Bourbon Street
New Orleans, May 1958.
17
Sailors
Walking down Bourbon Street, 1969.
18
“The Old Absinthe House”
Bourbon and Conti Streets in New Orleans, 1940.
19
New Year's Eve in 1963
Bourbon Street’s 200th block.
20
Revelers in the French Quarter
Mardi Gras, 1950.
21
Street Resurfacing in 1983
The city prepping for the 1984 World’s Fair.
22
Curly Dauzart Opens the Doors to Lafitte's Blacksmith Shop
Bourbon Street, French Quarter, 1973.
