Biography

Philip Gould is a cultural documentary and architecture photographer who has made Louisiana his home and favorite subject since 1974. Gould has photographed throughout the state, the nation, Europe and the Caribbean. His work has been published in over a dozen books on subjects ranging from Cajun culture, Emeril Lagasse, A. Hays Town, and Robert Dafford to French train stations. His images constitute one of the largest privately held contemporary photographic archives on Louisiana.

Schedule

3 p.m. to 3:45 p.m.
State Capitol, House Committee Room 5
Book Talk
Ghosts of Good Times

4 p.m. to 4:45 p.m.
Barnes & Noble Bookselling Tent
Book Signing

Ghosts of Good Times: Louisiana Dance Halls Past and Present

Ghosts of Good Times: South Louisiana Dance Halls Past and Present examines a world of Cajun dance halls, Zydeco clubs, Chitlin’ Circuit R&B night clubs, Swamp-Pop Honkytonks and other venues that at one time were prevalent throughout the region. Photographs by Philip Gould blend architectural imagery of buildings still standing with historic photographs of the clubs that he took in their heyday. Herman Fuselier and other writers provide a rich selection of historic accounts and essays about their personal experiences in the clubs.

The book also examines the dance hall scene today and how the venues have changed. The music following remains strong and people still come to dance. The surviving old dance halls and newer venues are still in full swing. Old or new, they are icons, a proud south Louisiana legacy of Good Times.