June 17, 2016
This June we were scheduled to participate in a panel discussion at the New Orleans Museum of Art with author Richard Campanella about my career, and his book, The Photojournalism of Del Hall
For the first time in many years, we decided to drive, instead of fly to the City. The drive turned into a road trip by stopping in Memphis for the night at the Peabody Hotel, famed for the ducks that are marched to the lobby fountain every morning.
The next morning we met Tess, the server at the oldest diner in town, the Arcade restaurant. We asked her to show us where Elvis sat when he came in. Tess showed us the booth nearest the back door where he might “book ass” out if he wanted to avoid someone arriving.
The Lorraine Motel was only a block from the Arcade which has preserved the ‘68 era when Dr Martin Luther King was assassinated on its balcony.
From there we had to see two places before we left. - Sun Records studio is a preserved historical ocation where producer Sam Phillips contracted and recorded, Elvis, Jerry Lee, Carl Perkins and Johnny Cash. Then to the biggest tourist attraction in Memphis, Graceland Mansion.
In New Orleans, we visited the Whitney Plantation, dedicated to showing the slaves point of view, and their life expectancy based on their job. The sugar cane cutter had the shortest life, next to the slave who boiled the cane. Our docent Courtney, studied the history of slavery and the Whitney to create her own narrative of the era.
Finally, we arrived for Friday at NOMA, featurng a discussion with author Richard Campanella followed by a book signing. The auditorium was packed and we could hardly get to the signing table when it ended. They sold more than 40 books that evening, and we signed the remaining books for the museum store.
Before we left, we had to say hello to Chef Graham, from Chicago, at the packed Erin Rose "Killer PoBoy" restaurant.