Historic Photos of Louisiana

For nearly 300 years, from its founding in the early 1700s to the present, Louisiana has been one of the most fascinating and culturally diverse geographical areas on the North American continent. To many people, the name calls to mind images of sleepy bayous with moss-draped cypresses and the hot sounds of New Orleans–style jazz, but there is much more to “the Bayou State” than what exists in the popular perception.

Louisiana holds a dimension seldom portrayed in the thousands of movies and...