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ardi Gras has always held a fascination for me. Some of my earliest memories are of going to parades with my parents and learning how to not get my fingers smashed as I grubbed for doubloons for my collection. As a numismatist (a coin and medal collector), I have always seen doubloons, Carnival’s version of money, as worthy of saving and studying. For my master’s thesis at the University of New Orleans, I wrote about the history of Mardi Gras throws and their value as Carnival’s cultural currency. So when the opportunity arose to research and organize The Collection’s Mardi Gras memorabilia, I wasn’t just ready—I felt like I’d been preparing for the project my whole life.
Our Carnival memorabilia collection includes ball favors, badges worn by the dukes, or members, of the Krewe of Rex (which are called ducal decorations), jewelry from Carnival royalty, generic Mardi Gras souvenirs, parade throws,
doubloons, and other related items. Because Mardi Gras is an annual event, with each krewe presenting a new parade and/ or ball every year, our collection is always growing. When I started working on the Carnival collection, our digital catalog contained only the most basic information about many of the items, especially the older pieces. To make our catalog as user- and search-friendly as possible, 1 have been systematically cataloging these items by updating the records’ identifying data. Typically this kind of work is done when an item enters our holdings, but for this ongoing project I go back and retroactively provide the items with fully researched catalog entries, filling in any missing fields for the title, date, description, materials, and measurements. To provide as accurate a description as possible, I also confirm or determine the item’s record of provenance—its origin and history.
Ball favors make up a large part of our Carnival memorabilia collection. Balls and dancing have long been a part
Above: McDonogh 15 Carnival KingDavid DiVincenti and Queen Marie Buffa; 1938; photoprint; by an unknown photographer; 1985-30.4
4	Volume XXXI, Number 1 —Winter 2014