Reflections of the South
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Reflections of the South |
Read this essay companying the African American Doll, Gabrielle, learn about the fate of the New Orleans Quadroons.
written by JoAnn Bernard
It's early morning in the Vieux Carre`. The year is 1826. Gabrielle is awakened by the Cala Women. The vendor cries, "Bels calas, bels calas, tout chauds." (Find fritters, fine fritters, very hot.) As she arises she thinks of the day ahead, for tonight she must meet her destiny.
Gabrielle is a New Orleans Quadroon, a beautiful free woman of color. She is a mixture of French ancestry and black. Her mother has sent her to the Ursuline Convent in New Orleans. At the convent she has completed her social and formal education. Gabrielle has prepared her entire life for tonight, "The Quadroon Ball" held at the Orleans Ballroom. Only wealthy white gentlemen are allowed to attend the Ball. The distinguished foreigners who visited New Orleans cannot ignore the amorous excitement aroused by the beautiful quadroons. An English traveler, His Highness Bernhard, Duke of Saxe-Weimar Eisenach, found them to be the most beautiful women on earth. He wrote, "Many of them has as fair complexion as many of the Haughty Creole females."
Gabrielle is ready for the ball, and is by far the fairest of them all. She makes her entrance and hesitates, appearing uncertain and confused. She cannot help feeling a shadow of dismay over an affair that will govern her fate.
If a gentleman at the ball selects Gabrielle, he will make arrangements with her mother to pay court to her. If she accepts him as a lover he will install her in one of the houses on Rampart Street. Gabrielle must believe in her heart that she will find her true love and not be a mistress, but a wife, and will prove to be the exception to the rule.
JoAnn Bernard is a self-taught artist. Born JoAnn Gonzales on the bayou of Delacroix Island, Louisiana, with an Islenos heritage that stems back to Spain's Canary Islands. Her love of the beautiful State of Louisiana has inspired the Days of Old Collection, a line of Louisiana heritage character dolls. Through research, she has reproduced Louisiana ancestry; African American, Cajun, Islenos and others in life-like forms as they were seen years ago. JoAnn has created a complete original collection. She sculpts the original pieces and reproduces them in plaster molds. The face of each character is hand-painted, dressed (clothing and jewelry may vary) and positioned on handcrafted wooden pedestals and chairs to recreate photographs and sketches of the 1800's. The body designs are unique in construction and design. All wigs are hand-made by the artist using mohair strands. The artist developed original clothing designs and patterns. Props were designed and created for each individual character doll. All clay pieces are limited editions of 500 and are numbered and signed by the artist. Booklets and display cards are also designed by Jo Ann to include the number of the piece and a short story about the character doll. Booklets are attached to the piece, and the display card can be framed to stand along side the piece. Character dolls range in height from 16 to 18 inches tall. Total height of the piece may vary depending upon position of character dolls. A numbered and signed Certificate of Authenticity is provided with each character doll.
ŠJo Ann Bernard
Attached booklets contain above information
   
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African American Heritage Dolls |
Visit the Louisiana State Crafts Program
Learn about Louisiana Culture through this African American Heritage Doll collection inspired by sketches, photographs and stories of the 1800's.
Display card and Booklets printed on aged parchment paper
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For more information email: jo_ann_bernard@southernelegance.net
Display card printed on aged parchment paper
