Mobile Carnival Museum

 

Mobile, Alabama is the birthplace of Mardi Gras. It is the oldest official Carnival celebration in the United States, started by Frenchman Nicholas Langlois in 1703 when Mobile was the capital of Louisiana.

While attending a Family Reunion, I had the opportunity to visit The Mobile Carnival Museum. The exhibit is enormous. These are just a few snaps I captured.  If you'd like to see more, click here.

Entrance fee. (Senior citizenry has its perks. $6.00 as opposed to $8.00) 😉

The eye of Vernadean, the dragon mascot of the Mystics of Time Mardi Gras krewe. 

More Mardi Gras Band memorabilia

One of the many Mardi Gras throws, doubloons are large coins, either plastic or metal, that are usually in the Mardi Gras colors. These coins portray the mystic society's emblem, name, and founding date on one side, and the theme and year of the parade and ball on the other side.



 

Showroom of past Mardi Gras costumes

Second-line dancers at the reunion.

That's it ☂☂☂

Red Mountain Makers Fundraiser and Open House

   

Birmingham, Alabama was once well known for its  iron and steel industry.  

There was a running joke when I went off to school, that if you were from Birmingham, Alabama your Daddy worked at one of the steel mills. Not always true but, close. 😊 

Though the steel mills have closed, their  history will never be forgotten. Steel was the bread and butter income of many families.  Sloss Furnace,  now a historic landmark, was once a blast furnace producing pig iron. It was open from 1882 until 1971.

 Further notoriety of the iron and steel business in Birmingham, Alabama is seen through it's permanent fixture of  the cast iron statue atop Red Mountain, known as Vulcan, 

Signage could have been a little better. Had to walk two blocks to the entrance

 Jiggly octopi made from 3-D Printer

The welding I did not get to see because I didn't want to wear a sweaty welding hood

Auto darkening hood

that unknown other people  had been wearing.        Icky!! 😖

I did get to see blacksmithing and the forging of a sword.

 

Red Mountain Makers is not only paying homage to the city's steel and iron industry. It is keeping alive many of the crafts and vocations that might otherwise be lost without those who continue to practice them.

That's it 🔥🔥🔥