I must admit I’ve struggled in putting together Photoremedy post number 101. Why? Because Louisiana is one of the most colorful and genuinely unique places Mary and I have visited. We delighted in the enchanting aroma of history and spice found as we pursued photoremedy in eclectic places from low-key Jeanerette to the authentic New Orleans Garden District to the celebrated French Quarter.

St. Louis Cathedral – New Orleans, LA

Krewe du Brew – St. Charles Street (New Orleans)

Historic LeJeune’s Bakery -Jeanerette, LA

Digital Art Based on Garden District’s Prytania Street

Volumes can be–and have been–written about the cultural gems of Louisiana. I found, however, that the place that most etched an enduring mark was the one that left me grasping to find the right words: the renowned Oak Alley plantation.

Oak Alley Plantation – Vacherie, LA

Ironically it wasn’t the beautiful people, lush vegetation or much-photographed Oak Alley Big House that took my breath away. It was the direct manner in which the attraction addressed the overwhelmingly somber aspect of its history – slavery.

Oak Alley Permanent Enslaved Community Exhibit

Digital Photographic Art based on Oak Alley Permanent Enslaved Community Exhibit

Oak Alley Permanent Enslaved Community Exhibit

Oak Alley Permanent Enslaved Community Exhibit

Oak Alley Permanent Enslaved Community Exhibit

This blog is intentionally more about photography than words. Nevertheless, I struggled in identifying the photos I took that best describe how this exhibit seemed to painfully sandblast my heart, while leaving me strangely satisfied. In the final analysis, this unusual mix of emotions was based on the relief of sensing that plantation attractions like Oak Alley have joined those of us wanting to guarantee that such an appalling part of history is never repeated (at home or abroad).