With a selection of fine historic images from his best-selling book, Dean Shapiro provides a valuable and revealing historical retrospective on the growth and development of Louisiana. From its founding in the early 1700s to the present, Louisiana has been one of the most fascinating and culturally diverse areas on the North American continent. To many people, the name calls to mind images of sleepy bayous with moss-draped cypresses and the hot sounds of New Orleans-style jazz, but there also exists a culture of hardworking people tilling the land, pulling fish and shrimp from the sea, staffing factories, and selling the fruits of their labors in the open marketplace. Showcased in are both sides of this captivating locale, seen in over 100 vivid black-and-white photographs that create an entrancing look at this unique state.