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All the United States Louisiana New Orleans Street Name Tiles of New Orleans

Street Name Tiles of New Orleans

This distinctive Crescent City tradition dates back to the days of horse-drawn carriages.

New Orleans, Louisiana

Added By
Becca Byrne
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A street name in tiles in New Orleans’ French Quarter.   Rebecca Byrne / Atlas Obscura User
Old-style street name tiles on the curb in uptown New Orleans.   Infrogmation/cc by 2.0
Street name tiles at Octavia and Laurel in uptown New Orleans.   Infrogmation/cc by 2.0
Corner sidewalk name tiles at St. Philip Street at Liberty in Tremé.   Infrogmation/cc by-sa 4.0
Street name sign embedded in sidewalk on Bourbon Street.   Pete unseth/cc by-sa 4.0
Sidewalk street name tiles at the corner of Baronne Street and Second Street.   Infrogmation/cc by-sa 3.0
Street name tiles at Terpsichore Street in New Orleans’ Lower Garden District.   Infrogmation/cc by-sa 3.0
Street name tiles in the Faubourg Marigny historic neighborhood.   Infrogmation/cc by-sa 4.0
Street name tiles in the Bywater neighborhood of New Orleans.   Infrogmation/cc by-sa 4.0
  Jason Michael Walker / Atlas Obscura User
  causeiwander / Atlas Obscura User
Corner of Desire and Mandeville   Eric C / Atlas Obscura User
August 2018   AntiArielle / Atlas Obscura User
August 2018   AntiArielle / Atlas Obscura User
  thegenxjourney / Atlas Obscura User
Bourbon Street at night   Avoiding Regret
  thegenxjourney / Atlas Obscura User
Iberville Street   Avoiding Regret
St. Ann Street   Avoiding Regret
  Jason Michael Walker / Atlas Obscura User
  Jason Michael Walker / Atlas Obscura User
  Jason Michael Walker / Atlas Obscura User
  Jason Michael Walker / Atlas Obscura User
  Jason Michael Walker / Atlas Obscura User
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About

Sprawling, columned mansions in the Garden District and ornate balconies protruding from the French Quarter’s Creole townhouses give visitors to New Orleans more than enough to look at, but if you occasionally glance down, you'll see another distinctive detail of the Crescent City.

The New Orleanian tradition of eschewing street signs in favor of using ceramic tiles to spell street names started approximately 130 years ago in the mid-1880s. Supposedly, the motivating factor for this preference was the former pervasiveness of horse-drawn carriages, whose slow pace allowed for plenty of time and the correct vantage point from which coachmen could look down at the street in front of them.

It’s not difficult to imagine an era in which such contraptions dominated the streets. To this day, the pedestrian-oriented layout of certain parts of New Orleans, such as the French Quarter, makes it difficult for very large vehicles to pass through.

Though there are now street signs in many areas, the iconic blue-and-white tiles can still be found in older sections of the city. When compared to other historic metropolises like Boston, New York City, San Francisco, and Detroit, NOLA still has a relative paucity of street signage.

The tiles, which are 4-by-6-inches and 1-inch thick, are not all the same. The original ones are Belgian in origin, manufactured in Europe and shipped across the sea. A second iteration was produced by the American Encaustic Tile Company in Zanesville, Ohio. The letters on the tiles—some of which are over a century old—are done in a font specific to New Orleans. If and when tiles need to be replaced, local artisans like Mark Derby are commissioned to fire up a kiln and make new ones. Tiles designed by Derby are similar to older ones but can be differentiated by the signature narrow yellow border he adds around the letters.

In a city brimming with historical locations worthy of visiting, these street tiles are something you can enjoy without having to pay an entrance fee. All you need is a keen eye and a willingness to hit the pavement!

Related Tags

Street Names Art History Roads Signs Transportation

Know Before You Go

The street name tiles can be found throughout the French Quarter (where the above map coordinates point to),  and the other historic neighborhoods such as Tremé, Faubourg Marigny, and Bywater. Just be sure to look down as you're exploring the city!

Community Contributors

Added By

Rebecca Byrne

Edited By

Avoiding Regret, thegenxjourney, Meg, AntiArielle...

  • Avoiding Regret
  • thegenxjourney
  • Meg
  • AntiArielle
  • serindipitie
  • Eric C
  • Jason Michael Walker
  • causeiwander

Published

March 1, 2019

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Sources
  • https://www.nola.com/300/2017/10/new_orleans_street_tiles_sidew.html
  • https://wgno.com/2017/01/17/let-the-tiles-lead-the-way-the-history-of-street-tiles-in-new-orleans/
  • https://www.wdsu.com/article/iconic-tiles-destroyed-in-the-bywater/19172787
Street Name Tiles of New Orleans
Toulouse Street
New Orleans, Louisiana
United States
29.957839, -90.066365
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