I went to a District 3 planning meeting today and saw “Richard Campanella”:http://www2.tulane.edu/article_news_details.cfm?ArticleID=6719. I have been reading his latest book “Geographies of New Orleans”:http://cls.louisiana.edu/campanella.shtml and have been very impressed with the variety of information. The way in which it is presented and the ability it has to make you see New Orleans in yet another way.

The following is from A “Times Picayune article”:http://www.nola.com/search/index.ssf?/base/living-0/1156521327102130.xml?LBKAU&coll=1

bq. “Geographies of New Orleans” represents five years of research, map-making and writing, with more than 400 pages of text, including 170 original maps, charts and graphs and approximately 400 vintage and contemporary photographs and satellite images of the city. It takes the reader through past geographies, physical geographies, urban geographies, ethnic geographies (with chapters on Creole, Irish, German, Jewish, Greek, African-American, Italian, Chinese and Vietnamese patterns of settlement in the city), as well as a chapter titled “Hurricane Katrina and the Geographies of Catastrophe.”

I have been looking at a lot of damaged buildings which has made me curious about what I did not know. Richard showed me a small photo of a corner store on Melpomene and Constance. He mentioned that the walls had a brick and beam construction. I did some research on this type of construction, I am fairly certain it was called “nogging”:http://www.probertencyclopaedia.com/TA.HTM

Nogging is rough brick masonry used to fill in the interstices of a wooden frame, in building.

I arrived at the store just in time to get a photo of this wall. While there does not seem to be a full brick wall between the beams there is evidence of a partial brick support.

The Bulldozers were taking this store down and I was only able to get a few shots before it came down.

I managed to find a few interesting architectural shards.

and take a last photo

because by Monday it will be all gone.