Freedom’s Dance: Social Aid and Pleasure Clubs in New Orleans

If you feel drawn to New Orleans street culture you have probably already seen a few of Eric Waters photographs.  Taken at the intersection of art photography, journalism, and community memory they have sometimes even sparked debate within the community itself. He has been invited to document the black cultural societies of New Orleans for 40 years- the Social Aid & Pleasure Clubs, the Mardi Gras Indians, The Baby Dolls, and even the elusive Skull & Bones Gangs which may predate them all. He has captured in his lens the incremental changes of fashion and behavior over time. Some of his photographs are truly iconic. You can spot them in the opening theme of the HBO series Treme. A photograph of a mother dancing on her son's coffin sparked internal debate about the raison d'être of Second Line culture in the modern city. That mother, Lois Andrews, is interviewed for this book. She was raised and has lived immersed in the musical and parading culture of the city and another of her sons, Trombone Shorty, has become one of it's most well-known ambassadors. Her memories are collected along wi