Third Thursday Lecture

This presentation by historian Ed Branley and Derby Gisclair will be a romp through the stories and antics of some of the most famous people in New Orleans. Drawn from the pages of Branley’s book “Legendary Locals of New Orleans,” these characters put the spice in our gumbo – from the early French and Spanish days to businessmen, pirates, musicians, soldiers, politicians, sports personalities and more – patrons will learn what they never knew about some of these famous New Orleanians. 

New Orleans native Edward J. Branley has written five books for Arcadia Publishing, including Legendary Locals of New Orleans and Images of America books New Orleans: The Canal Streetcar Line, Maison Blanche Department Store and New Orleans Jazz. He is a graduate of Brother Martin High School in New Orleans and the University of New Orleans.

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; and Early Baseball in New Orleans – A History of 19th Century Play, and The Dixie Series.