Premieres on Monday, July 14 at 9pm
Repeats: Wednesday, July 16 at 10pm; Sunday, July 20 at 10am; Saturday, July 26 at 5pm; Monday, July 28 at 10:30pm
The new half-hour documentary, WEST END AND THE DANCING PRISMATIC FOUNTAIN, produced and narrated by Dennis Woltering tells the story of how the West End area of New Orleans developed into what has been described as the Coney Island of New Orleans in the 1800s and early 1900s.
The attraction built on pilings over Lake Pontchartrain included amusement rides, restaurants, resort hotels, and live entertainment including early jazz performed by Louis Armstrong, Kid Ory and other artists who would become jazz legends.
Toward the end of the era, a highly advanced fountain designed by Frederick Darlington was built in the center of West End Park. Well before underwater lights were created, Darlington found a way using prisms to color the light that danced with streams of water shooting up to 100-feet into the sky. The spectacle drew thousands of people to watch as the pulsing streams of colorful water almost seemed to dance to live music performed by a nearby band.
Program underwritten by The Azby Fund.
Photo Credits:
Kid Ory and Louis Armstrong is from the Louis Armstrong House Museum
Roller Coaster is from Library of Congress
Ferris Wheel is from the Library of Congress
West End New Orleans is from New Orleans Public Library City Archives and Special Collections
Jelly Roll Morton is from Britannica
Darlington Fountain is from John G. DeMajo’s online post of West End Memories