The Songs & Pictures

The book is illustrated with photographs and with sheet music of Creole kitchen songs — «Ne soyez pas étonnés de ces quelques notes de musique, c'est le piment de la sauce.» Click any image for the full-size scan.

A note on the pictures: several of the plates in this 1904 book depict Black Louisianans in caricatures that are racist by today's standards. Rather than erase them from the historical record, they have been blurred out. Click a blurred image if you wish to view it for historical purposes; click the revealed image for the full-size scan.

La Chanson de Tobie le Foque
La Chanson de Tobie le Foque
Sheet music: «La vie y'ien carosse passé, les crapaux bien attelés, quatre wa-warons frissés poudrés était dans ce carosse, ç'était la vérité, il s'en allait au nord.»
A Young Daring Frog Driver
A Young Daring Frog Driver
A young daring frog driver on the Du Broca plantation, West Baton Rouge, La. (Frontispiece)
Title Page
Title Page
Cooking in Old Créole Days — decorative title page, R. H. Russell, New York, 1904.
Bamboula (song)
Bamboula (song)
Sheet music: «Quand pat-tat la cuit n'a man-ge li, n'a man-ge li.» Facing page 10.
BamboulaImage blurredThis plate depicts its subject in a way that is racist by today's standards. Click if you wish to view it for historical purposes.
Bamboula
Gottschalk's famous "Bamboule" was written on this theme. Plate facing page 10.
Belle Dindi de Jambe de Bois (song)
Belle Dindi de Jambe de Bois (song)
Sheet music: «Chacun son gout moi j'ai fais choix d'une belle dindi, de jambe de bois, de jambe de bois, de jambe de bois.» Facing page 22.
Turkey with the Wooden LegsImage blurredThis plate depicts its subject in a way that is racist by today's standards. Click if you wish to view it for historical purposes.
Turkey with the Wooden Legs
Illustration plate facing page 22.
Chanson de Mérance
Chanson de Mérance
Sheet music: «Que fais-tu dans ce monde que tu n'étais pas au près des prêtres… vas t'en dans les enfers.» Facing page 32.
Nurse Mérance of the Destrehan PlantationImage blurredThis plate depicts its subject in a way that is racist by today's standards. Click if you wish to view it for historical purposes.
Nurse Mérance of the Destrehan Plantation
Nurse Mérance of the Destrehan Plantation, just above New Orleans. Plate facing page 32.
Marchand d'Oinons (song)
Marchand d'Oinons (song)
Sheet music: «Des oinons sont à bons marché c'est li çi c'est li ça. La commère tournera le dos c'est li çi c'est li ça.» Facing page 48.
The One-Eyed Boy and His Onion StealImage blurredThis plate depicts its subject in a way that is racist by today's standards. Click if you wish to view it for historical purposes.
The One-Eyed Boy and His Onion Steal
Illustration plate facing page 48.
Mamzelle Zizi (song)
Mamzelle Zizi (song)
Sheet music: «Pauvre pettit mamzelle zizi, li-j'ain douler dans kerali.» Facing page 64.
SavanneImage blurredThis plate depicts its subject in a way that is racist by today's standards. Click if you wish to view it for historical purposes.
Savanne
Gottschalk's famous "Savanne" was written on this theme. Plate facing page 64.
Marchand de Callas (song)
Marchand de Callas (song)
Sheet music: «Bel cal-las tout-chauds!» — the street cry of the callas vendor. Facing page 94.
The Callas Girl
The Callas Girl
The Callas Girl, carrying her basket of hot rice cakes. Plate facing page 94.
Marchand de Moutarde (song)
Marchand de Moutarde (song)
Sheet music: «Tout le monde me regarde mais personne n'achète rien — achetez de la moutarde çela vous fera du bien.» Facing page 108.
The Old French Chef Selling Mustard in New Orleans
The Old French Chef Selling Mustard in New Orleans
Illustration plate facing page 108.
Rights & ReuseThe complete text of Cooking in Old Créole Days (1904) is in the public domain in the United States — like all works published before 1928 — and is free to read, download, quote, teach from, and reuse. This digital edition (its transcription, restored images, and site design) is © 2026 PhotoOpAI, and any editorial commentary we add is clearly marked as ours; the underlying public-domain text carries no such restriction.