Rustem and the Dragon, float design from Krewe of Proteus, 1894
Hisi - The Evil Principle, float design from Krewe of Proteus, 1893
Wolfdietrich - the Moorland Lake, float design from Krewe of Proteus, 1888
Durga (virtue) slaying Mahishasura (vice), float design from Krewe of Proteus, 1889
Hagen in the Griffins Nest, float design from Krewe of Proteus, 1888
Siegfried Slays Fafnir, float design from Krewe of Proteus Parade, 1888
The Simurgh, float design from Krewe of Proteus Parade, 1894
The Last Battle, float design from Krewe of Proteus, 1895
Banner, float design from Krewe of Proteus, 1888
The Magician's Den, float design from Krewe of Proteus parade, 1887
Elves of the Metals, float design from Krewe of Proteus, 1890
The Enchanter, float design from Krewe of Proteus, 1891
The Turi Castle of Honeyland, float design from Krewe of Proteus, 1893
Jemshid the Proud, float design from Krewe of Proteus, 1894
The Orc, float design from Krewe of Proteus, 1897
Manala-Deathland, float design from Krewe of Proteus, 1893
Death of Drusian, float design from Krewe of Proteus, 1888
Fountain of Urd - The Norns, float design from Krewe of Proteus, 1895
Gilling and the Black Dwarfs, float design from Krewe of Proteus, 1895
Varuna - God of the Ocean , float design from Krewe of Proteus Parade, 1889
In The Surf, float design from Krewe of Proteus, 1896
Ilmarinen, worker of metals, forging the Sampo, float design from Krewe of Proteus, 1893
The Magician and the Sultan, float design from Krewe of Proteus Parade, 1891
The Incantation, float design from Krewe of Proteus, 1897
Loki in Chains, float design from Krewe of Proteus, 1895
In the Net, float design from Krewe of Proteus, 1897
Neptune, float design from Krewe of Proteus parade, 1886
The Evil Genii, float design from Krewe of Proteus, 1891
Bayard escapes from Mount Vulcanus, float design from Krewe of Proteus, 1888
King Rother's departure, float design from Krewe of Proteus, 1888
Elves of the Shells, float design from Krewe of Proteus, 1890
Baldur The Bright, float design from Krewe of Proteus, 1895
The Giant Smith, float design from Krewe of Proteus, 1895
Proteus, float design from Krewe of Proteus, 1891
The Altar of Fire, float design from Krewe of Proteus, 1891
Saturn, float design from Krewe of Proteus parade, 1886
Proteus, float design from Krewe of Proteus, 1894
The Hippogriff, float design from Krewe of Proteus, 1897
Ahtola Water Castle - Ahto, God Of Ocean, float design from Krewe of Proteus, 1893
Tahumers - The Binder Of Demons, float design from Krewe of Proteus, 1894
The Groves of Shadaski, float design from Krewe of Proteus, 1891
The Coral Booth, float design from Krewe of Proteus, 1896
The Fenris Wolf, float design from Krewe of Proteus, 1895
Ogir The Ocean God, float design from Krewe of Proteus, 1895
The Snow Queen's Palace, float design from Krewe of Proteus Parade, 1887
The Magic Barge - Wainamoinen in quest of a bride, float design from Krewe of Proteus, 1893
The Harpies, float design from Krewe of Proteus, 1897"Little is known about the personal life of Carlotta Bonnecaze, who designed some of the most elaborate costumes and spectacular floats during Carnival’s Golden Age, from 1870 to 1930. Daughter of Alexis Bonnecaze, a member of the Krewe of Proteus, she was the first woman and the first Creole parade designer. She created Proteus’ Mardi Gras designs from 1885 to 1897." - quote source
Artworks found at The Louisiana Digital Library.
1 comment:
Carlotta Boncaze was among a very talented corps of carnival designers from what could be considered the "Golden Age", when there were few parading krewes and no expense was spared in producing a paegent for appreciative crowds. Boncaze, along with Charles Briton, Bror Anders Wilkstrom, Jennie Wilde, and Leda Hincks-Plauche, were responsible for the most spectacular float and matching costume designs ever seen on the streets of New Orleans, in that time when it was no matter to raze a float down to its carriage and resculpt it every year. As can be seen from these samples, she had a particular appreciation for the whimsical and the mythical. Sadly, the Great Depression put an end to such lavish excess, as even the Lords of Carnival ended up having to economise and krewes reused existing float chassis every year, redecorating them to suit each season's particular theme. But the record of that truly fantastic period of rolling artistry lives on in surviving design plates and carnival bulletins published by the local newspapers.
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