Third Thursday Lecture

Local author and historian Derby Gisclair will give a lecture on dueling titled “An Affair of Honor” at 7 p.m., Thursday, Jan. 15, at the East Bank Regional Library, 4747 W. Napoleon, Metairie.

This event is free of charge and is open to the public.

According to Gisclair, dueling was once a popular means of settling disputes and New Orleans was the dueling capital of the United States having become deeply embedded in the city’s social fabric from its colonial days through the 19th century.

“Dueling fits into the concept of identity and spectacle,” he says. “The concept of mortal combat – whether it is Robert Taylor as Ivanhoe jousting five of Prince John’s knights one by one, or Gary Cooper as Marshall Kane facing off against the outlaw Frank Miller in High Noon, or Mel Gibson’s Mad Max fighting Master Blaster in the dystopian futuristic Thunderdome -- what ties these scenes together is the mythic quality of the duel.  It’s not just about violence—it’s about identity, spectacle, and the illusion of control in a chaotic world.

In this presentation, Gisclair traces the history of dueling in New Orleans and describes some of the more unusual duels that took place.A lifelong resident of New Orleans, S. Derby Gisclair is a member of the Society of American Baseball Research (SABR) and its 19th Century, Minor Leagues, Deadball Era, Oral History, and Pictorial History Committees. He heads the Schott-Pelican Chapter of SABR in Louisiana and is on the Nominating and Selection Committees for the Greater New Orleans Professional Baseball Hall of Fame.

He is the author of several books including Baseball in New Orleans, Baseball at Tulane University, The Olympic Club of New Orleans – The Epicenter of Professional Boxing, 1883-1897, and Early Baseball in New Orleans – A History of 19th Century Play. His most recent book, The Dixie Series, 1920-1958, was released on May 1, 2023.

He is working on a history of horse-racing and racetracks in New Orleans, a history of the New Orleans Pelicans, and a pictorial history of boxing in New Orleans.

Program inquiries should be directed to Chris Smith, Adult Programming, at 504-889-8143 or wcsmith@jefferson.lib.la.us.