One hundred years ago, the Times-Picayune commissioned a book known familiarly today as The Book of the Picayune. (The formal title of the work is New Orleans, Louisiana, The Crescent City: The Book of the Picayune, Also of the Public Bodies and Business Interests of the Place). Its purpose, according to the volume's introduction, was "to furnish the world an orderly, connected and comprehensive account of the advantages of New Orleans, and to acquaint the World with the city's attractions, as a place of residence and business, and to give, particularly, certain details of its more recent advancement." In other words, it was one of several early versions of promotional "P.R.," (another significant example being The City of New Orleans: the Book of the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Louisiana and Other Public Bodies of the "Crescent City", published in 1894).

The value of this book today lies primarily in its photographs, which show not only public buildings, parks and squares, but also private businesses and residences, thus providing a view of the city and its enterprises as they existed a century ago. This month's Gallery reproduces a number of the images of businesses, with the captions used in the book.

And click here to revisit earlier Images of the Month Galleries.