Phoebe Ferguson collection

This collection, formed by New Orleans filmmaker Phoebe Ferguson, documents her family history, as well as New Orleans’ Mardi Gras and debutante traditions. Collected genealogical material and news clippings (1979-2001) regard the Ferguson and Williams branches of Ferguson’s family. Noted individuals documented include judge John Howard Ferguson (of Plessy v. Ferguson), businessman and philanthropist Frank B. Williams, and actress Marguerite Clark. Mardi Gras-related materials include ephemera in the form of invitations and clippings when Ferguson’s grandfather, Laurence M. Williams, reigned as Rex during the 1961 Carnival season. Also present are materials (1999-2004) related to the Original Illinois Club, an African American social club in New Orleans, and the Club’s annual debutante cotillion collected by Ferguson as part of her research for her documentary, Member of the Club. Photographs (undated) and additional clippings (1978) are also present.