Esther Dupuy Breckenride, ca. 1920. Portrait by William Spratling. Courtesy Chachie Dupuy

Life of Esther Dupuy Breckenridge, New Orleans Bon Vivant

When Esther Dupuy Breckenridge of New Orleans died in 1998, after a full 92 years, she was bid farewell on the local television station, praised for her fun, gaiety and laughter. She had written the society column in the local newspaper, before becoming a social secretary planning parties. Mardi Gras was her favorite time. She coached carnival royalty on the etiquette of the royal scepter: "You wave it like a wand, dahling, not a club."

Documentation is a video of Breckenridge's life, featuring herself, providing an oral history that includes attending the French Opera House as a child, training falcons, dancing the Charleston at society parties, and her membership in the Sunday Sinners and Bastille Day societies.

Originally submitted by: Mary L. Landrieu, Senator.

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