Thematic Photographic - Doubles

"Thematic Photographic" - Carmi at the blog Written, Inc. presents a weekly themed photographic challenge. This week's theme is DOUBLES.


When I travel and immerse myself in an inspiring environment, I tend to filter everything through that lens.

And so when Carmi posted the latest theme for sharing photography, I went right to my New Orleans photos, and found this picture.

New Orleans is rich with vernacular styles of domestic architecture. This style is known as the Double-Gallery House.

Typically found in the Garden District, Uptown, and Mid-City neighborhoods, this style dates from between 1820 and 1850. It's a variation on the typical urban row house.

The most important characteristic is the two-story facade, with galleries - or porches - on both levels, with columns and tall windows, designed to circulate the breeze in the summer, and with shutters to bar against storms.

They're often embellished with intricate and gingerbread woodwork, like this house on Magazine Street.

The house at the start of this post is sited on a corner, and has galleries on both the facade on St. Charles Avenue, and on the side street.

This house, also facing St. Charles Avenue, is narrower, and doesn't include side galleries.

A Double-Gallery house is perfect for watching the Mardi Gras parades that roll from Napoleon Avenue to Canal Street down St. Charles Avenue.

"T'row me sumthin' mister!"