Ernest Bellocq famous photographs from Storyville 1996
John Ernest Joseph Bellocq (1873 - 1949) was a professional photographer who worked in New Orleans during the early 20th century. Bellocq is remembered for his haunting photographs of the prostitutes of Storyville, New Orleans' legalized red light district. These have inspired novels, poems and films

After his death, most of his negatives and prints were destroyed. However, the Storyville negatives were later found concealed in a sofa and purchased by a young photographer, Lee Friedlander

In 1970, Friedlander published a selection of the prints he had made from the negatives published as "Storyville Portraits"

  Bellocq's images were acclaimed for their unique poignancy and beauty

Ernest Bellocq - Discovered New Orleans Collection of photographs