 A Creole Christmas at the Lighting of the Roosevelt Hotel in New Orleans From left: Pierre de Pontalba, his mother and father, Isabelle and Charles-Edouard, Baron & Baroness de Pontalba are flanking me - 2nd from right, Roosevelt Hotel, New Orleans. Photo by Grevy Photography Dear Friends, One of the most exciting moments of my life happened: helping the Louisiana State Museum and the Louisiana Museum Foundation celebrate the New Orleans Tricentennial. My friends, the Baron & Baroness de Pontalba and their family, came to New Orleans from France for this epic event: The Founders Ball and the launch of the Baroness Pontalba & the Rise of Jackson Square Exhibition at the Cabildo.
 Above: Lieutenant Governor Billy Nungesser - in the middle - lights the way at the Roosevelt Hotel, and greets Baron and Baroness de Pontalba and Pierre de Pontalba to New Orleans! Lieutenant Governor Billy Nungesser said it best: “For a city so steeped in history, to be able to showcase an exhibit as important to the development of Jackson Square, the focal point of the city of New Orleans, is historical in and of itself. The legacy Don Andrés Almonester and his daughter, Baroness Micaela de Pontalba, left on the architecture and culture of the city attracts millions of visitors every year,”
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Dear Friends, I am proud to offer a truly once in a lifetime opportunity to participate in the New Orleans Tricentennial: a chance to meet Charles-Edouard and Isabelle, Baron and Baroness de Pontalba and family members - direct descendants of Micaela Almonester, Baroness de Pontalba.  The luncheon includes two speakers, sumptuous hȃute Creole Cuisine and drinks, and is generously sponsored by Tableau as a benefit for the Louisiana Museum Foundation. We are thankful to Dickie Brennan and his team for their support. Pontalba family historian, Pierre de Pontalba will share his family’s legacy in France and New Orleans. Louisiana State Museum guest exhibition Curator Randolph Delehanty, PhD will preview the exhibition that will open Saturday, December 1 at the Founders Ball, and to the public on Sunday, December 2 at The Cabildo.
Taking a wrong turn six years ago in the French countryside was incredibly fortuitous! I met the de Pontalba family! -Read about that wonderful adventure here- Tickets for the Pontalba Luncheon and the Founders Ball raise funds for the Louisiana Museum Foundation which supports the Louisiana State Museum. Luncheon tickets are $125 each, most of which is tax deductible, and can be purchased by clicking this link. Please join us by reserving now. Seating is limited. These remarkable events will sell out. Founders Ball tickets are $300 each for Louisiana Museum Foundation Members and $350 for non-members. So, join me for Lunch at Tableau and at The Cabildo for the Founders Ball! My best to you, Peter December 1 At The CaBildo
SUGGESTED READING
Intimate Enemies New York Times book review  Ironwork detail with the signature Almonester & Pontalba family logo from the Pontalba Apartments
 The Pontalba Family is Returning to Louisiana for the Founders Ball & Launch of the Baroness Pontalba Exhibit at the Cabildo! Dear Friends! I am thrilled to offer you early ticket access to the Louisiana Museum’s Founders Ball & Exhibition Opening at the Cabildo. This is one for the history books! Taking a wrong turn in the French countryside six years ago was incredibly fortuitous! I met the Pontalbas!. This wonderful occurrence along with help from friends led to this year's Founders Ball and Baroness de Pontalba exhibition....Here's how it happened and what you can anticipate.
 Pontalba Family Founders Ball Invitations From the beginning, we set our sights on the LMF’s top fundraising event, The Founders’ Ball, and invited the Pontalba family to be our honored guests. We also realized that Mont l’Évêque is a treasure trove of historical items related to the Pontalbas' time in Louisiana - primarily in the 19th century. So, the idea for the exhibition was born.  New Orleans’ iconic urban core: Jackson Square, St. Louis Cathedral, the Cabildo, the Presbytère, and the twin Pontalba Buildings - Upper Pontalba Apartments shown. In addition to items from the de Pontalba family château, the exhibition will draw from the Louisiana State Museum, and loans from private collections. We are honored to have guest Curator, Randolph Delehanty, PhD, who will tell the city-defining story of Don Andrés Almonester and his formidable daughter, Micaela, the Baroness de Pontalba.  The Founders Ball and Exhibit are dedicated to Christina Vella  Of course, none of this would have happened if I hadn't read Intimate Enemies. We should all be eternally grateful to the late Christina Vella, author of this book that was critically acclaimed by the New York Times. If you haven't already read Intimate Enemies, I encourage you to do so. It will deepen your appreciation of the exhibit and what Jackson Square means to all of us. The costume Ball will be reminiscent of the elegant parties Baroness Pontalba held in New Orleans and in her mansion in Paris, which today, still known as the Hôtel de Pontalba, serves as the official residence of the United States Ambassador to France. Late-18th-century to mid-19th-century attire, recalling the days of Don Almonester and our Baroness, are encouraged for the ball. Contemporary black tie and ball gowns will also be acceptable. Together, we will welcome Charles-Edouard and Isabelle, Baron and Baroness de Pontalba, their son Pierre, and other family members from France! Here’s a link to buy your Founders Ball tickets. They are $300 each for Louisiana Museum Foundation Members and $350 for non-members. I suggest you do this today for tickets are limited and this remarkable event will sell out! The only mission of the Louisiana Museum Foundation is to support the Louisiana State Museum through community donations and programmatic support. I hope that you will join me as a proud member of the LMF to support them for this event and beyond.  Almonester Pontalba balcony ironwork detail from the Pontalba Apartments
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