In 2017 I wrote my History of Art and Design Master's Thesis on E.J. Bellocq. In the spirit of spreading knowledge, I shared some information I gathered during my numerous research trips to archives and collections in New Orleans and New York. As John Szarkowski said, "our knowledge of E.J. Bellocq barely transcends the level of rumour." In order to dispel the myths that surround Bellocq's legacy, I hope that by sharing my thesis, we achieve a better understanding of who this turn-of-the-century commercial photographer really was.
In the years since publishing my thesis, I have been dedicated to my career as an archivist and my love of gardening, and have yet to fully transform the work into a manuscript for publication. I still have hopes of publishing this work as a monograph and am open to connecting with publishers, curators, and other interested parties. Here is my thesis.
The 1900 census lists Ernest Bellocq as a Photographer. At this time he lived with his mother, Marie, and aunt, Pauline McCarthy.
The following is a map I created that details most of the places that Bellocq lived and worked.
