Lecture examines spiritualism among Creoles of color

In December 2019, Louisiana Landmarks Society presented a free public lecture by author and professor Melissa Daggett entitled: Lost 19th Century Architectural Gems: The Buildings and Faubourgs of Henry Louis Rey, Activist and Medium. Drawn from her recent book, "Spiritualism in 19th Century New Orleans: The Life and Times of Henry Louis Rey." Daggett shared the architectural landscape — buildings and faubourgs — of Rey, a man of color living in New Orleans during the latter half of the 19th century who was known as an activist and medium at the time.

The event took place on Wednesday, Dec. 6, at 6 p.m. at First Unitarian Universalist Church, 5212 S. Claiborne Ave., New Orleans.

Professor Daggett's work has appeared in Louisiana History and Louisiana Cultural Vistas, and she was a speaker for the internationally-known Tennessee Williams/New Orleans Literary Festival in March 2017 as well as the Organization of American Historians in April 2017 and the Louisiana Book Festival on October 28, 2017 in Baton Rouge. A native of New Orleans, Melissa Daggett is an instructor of United States history at San Jacinto College in Pasadena, Texas.