The Hermann-Grima House: Urban Enslavement Tour
review by Paul Oswell
Living in New Orleans - especially during festival season - can sometimes feel like living in a theme park. While the celebration of both traditional and modern day culture here is a great creative outlet, and can certainly be uplifting and build community, it’s important to recognize the context of New Orleans’ evolution. An education on the historical dynamics of the city is a way to gain insight into its modern social landscape, and let’s be honest, nobody needs educating more than a white European transplant such as myself.
In the twelve or so years that I’ve lived here, I’ve experienced most of the historic house tours but none as evocative as the Urban Enslavement Tour at the Hermann–Grima House. The tour covers the differences in rural and urban slavery practices, detailing the general social and political climates of the time with deeply humanizing details of everyday existence in the house. The tour covers difficult and disturbing subject matter, delivered with impact and authority by our guide.
Dawn, a young, recent history graduate, is never less than an impressive guide, both in the scripted parts of the tour and in the off-the-cuff questions that are asked of her. The world doesn’t need any editorial on my emotions during the time we spent here, so I’ll keep the report as factual as possible, in the hope that it inspires you to take it, because it’s unlike any other tour of a historic home in New Orleans.
Some facts: the tour runs five times per day, with reservations required as group sizes are capped. There were three people with me on my tour, which was perfect for seeing the property and grounds, and it made for a more personal experience, with Dawn given the latitude to field questions as she presented the stories in an accessible, conversational style.
My companions were a tour guide from a different company who wanted to expand their knowledge and two history students with a special interest in the subject matter. I had a more general interest but my fellow tourees definitely had more detailed questions that Dawn took in her stride.
We walk around the outdoor spaces first of all, and learn the names of those people that were forced to work at the house, their familial relationships and role in the household, and we see where they slept and ate. We see the kitchens and workshops, and Dawn takes us through typical routines - how food was cooked, how clothes were washed.
Inside the house, the wealth of the merchant class on display is suddenly jarring. Of course, the lives of those enslaved here is the matter at hand, but incidental details of how the upper classes lived give a vivid picture of the times. The house itself has been well conserved with all the original decadent fixtures and fittings. These, if anything, soberly underline the stark contrasts.
The accounts of the day-to-day of being forced to work here are explained vividly. Again, the details of the domestic organization on personal levels is utterly engaging - we know a lot about the lives of everyone that was here, who their families were and even something of their character.
Urban slavery is presented unflinchingly, given its full historical context and in the end, presented as a comparison to modern day systems of labor and incarceration. It’s a skillfully woven presentation, and again, all credit to Dawn and the designers of the tour for such a deft touch. The tour doesn’t (and shouldn’t) pander to any delicate sensibilities and anyone wanting to take a deeper dive into New Orleans’ history during the time of slavery will glean a lot. Highly recommended and an important addition to the historic tour offerings here.
Paul Oswell
Hermann-Grima House website
Book a tour
review by Paul Oswell
Living in New Orleans - especially during festival season - can sometimes feel like living in a theme park. While the celebration of both traditional and modern day culture here is a great creative outlet, and can certainly be uplifting and build community, it’s important to recognize the context of New Orleans’ evolution. An education on the historical dynamics of the city is a way to gain insight into its modern social landscape, and let’s be honest, nobody needs educating more than a white European transplant such as myself.
In the twelve or so years that I’ve lived here, I’ve experienced most of the historic house tours but none as evocative as the Urban Enslavement Tour at the Hermann–Grima House. The tour covers the differences in rural and urban slavery practices, detailing the general social and political climates of the time with deeply humanizing details of everyday existence in the house. The tour covers difficult and disturbing subject matter, delivered with impact and authority by our guide.
Dawn, a young, recent history graduate, is never less than an impressive guide, both in the scripted parts of the tour and in the off-the-cuff questions that are asked of her. The world doesn’t need any editorial on my emotions during the time we spent here, so I’ll keep the report as factual as possible, in the hope that it inspires you to take it, because it’s unlike any other tour of a historic home in New Orleans.
Some facts: the tour runs five times per day, with reservations required as group sizes are capped. There were three people with me on my tour, which was perfect for seeing the property and grounds, and it made for a more personal experience, with Dawn given the latitude to field questions as she presented the stories in an accessible, conversational style.
My companions were a tour guide from a different company who wanted to expand their knowledge and two history students with a special interest in the subject matter. I had a more general interest but my fellow tourees definitely had more detailed questions that Dawn took in her stride.
We walk around the outdoor spaces first of all, and learn the names of those people that were forced to work at the house, their familial relationships and role in the household, and we see where they slept and ate. We see the kitchens and workshops, and Dawn takes us through typical routines - how food was cooked, how clothes were washed.
Inside the house, the wealth of the merchant class on display is suddenly jarring. Of course, the lives of those enslaved here is the matter at hand, but incidental details of how the upper classes lived give a vivid picture of the times. The house itself has been well conserved with all the original decadent fixtures and fittings. These, if anything, soberly underline the stark contrasts.
The accounts of the day-to-day of being forced to work here are explained vividly. Again, the details of the domestic organization on personal levels is utterly engaging - we know a lot about the lives of everyone that was here, who their families were and even something of their character.
Urban slavery is presented unflinchingly, given its full historical context and in the end, presented as a comparison to modern day systems of labor and incarceration. It’s a skillfully woven presentation, and again, all credit to Dawn and the designers of the tour for such a deft touch. The tour doesn’t (and shouldn’t) pander to any delicate sensibilities and anyone wanting to take a deeper dive into New Orleans’ history during the time of slavery will glean a lot. Highly recommended and an important addition to the historic tour offerings here.
Paul Oswell
Hermann-Grima House website
Book a tour