KnowLA is a comprehensive, dynamic online reference guide to the history and culture of Louisiana. The encyclopedia is accessible to anyone with a web-enabled device, free of charge.
Planter, politician and Democrat, Joseph Walker served as governor of Louisiana from 1850 until 1853. Continue »
Walker, William Aiken
Working in various Southern locations including New Orleans, painter William Aker Walker created small-scale works for tourists and large-scale, more stylized paintings for wealthy clients. Continue »
Warmoth, Henry Clay
Henry Clay Warmoth (1842-1930) was the first governor of Louisiana under Radical Reconstruction. Continue »
Warren, Robert Penn
Poet, critic, novelist, and U.S. Poet Laureate Robert Penn Warren is best known for his novel, All The King’s Men, inspired by the life and death of Louisiana Governor Huey Long. Continue »
Warrens, Robert Joseph
For four decades artist Robert Joseph Warrens has used his painting to explore the nature of art, social ills, and the polluting of the environment. Continue »
Waters, Eric
New Orleans' tradition of Mardi Gras Indians hand-sewing and wearing vibrant suits, and the similarly culturally ingrained second-line parades, feed photographers Eric Waters' commitment to the preservation of the city's African American culture. Continue »
Weil, Emile
Known for the vast range of buildings he designed, Emile Weil played an important role in Louisiana's architecture in the first third of the twentieth century Continue »
Weiskopf, Amy
Louisiana artist Amy Weiskopf gained national recognition for her elegant and graceful still-life paintings. Continue »
Weiss, Dreyfous and Seiferth
The architectural firm of Weiss, Dreyfous and Seiferth is best known for designing public buildings in the 1930s, many of which were commissioned by Governor Huey Long. Continue »
Wells, James Madison
Alexandria native James Wells served as governor of Louisiana from 1865 until 1867, leading the state’s initial efforts at Reconstruction. Continue »
Wells, Rebecca
Rebecca Wells (1952-) is a novelist, actress, and playwright from central Louisiana who wrote two novels that sparked a nation-wide phenomenon of “Ya-Ya” clubs and reading groups. Continue »
West Florida Revolt
Few popular representations of the state- and even many scholarly publications--fail to note that the Florida parishes were not included in the purchase or in the state of Louisiana as originally constituted. Continue »
West, William Edward
Largely self-taught, William Edward West began as an itinerant portrait painter in the Mississippi River Valley before traveling extensively throughout the United States and Europe. Continue »
Wharton, Thomas Kelah
Louisiana artist and architect Thomas Wharton is best known for the writings and sketches he kept in a daybook. Continue »
When the Saints Go Marching In - Composition
“When the Saints Go Marching In” has been adopted as the anthem of the city of New Orleans and is the fight song of its football team, The Saints, named in its honor. Continue »
White, Edward Douglas, Sr.
Sugar planter Edward White, a member of the Whig party, served as a member of the U.S. House of Representatives and as governor of Louisiana from 1835 until 1839. Continue »
White, Lulu
Lulu White was one of the most notorious and financially successful madams in Storyville, New Orleans' red-light district. Continue »
White, Willie
Willie White was a nationally recognized self-taught artist who used felt-tip markers to render whimsical organic forms in flat, bold planes of color. Continue »
Whitesell, Joseph “Pops” Woodson
Joseph “Pops” Woodson Whitsell moved to New Orleans in 1918 where he joined a group of Bohemian artists and writers. This group would become the subject of his photographs, eventually leading to a one man exhibition at the Smithsonian Institution in 1946. Continue »
Whitney, Morgan
Morgan Whitney was the scion of a wealthy New Orleans banking family who pursued a variety of artistic endeavors with both enthusiasm and dedication. Continue »
