In 1894, Philomene Legendre, daughter of Marie Laveau, gifted an antique vase to Mrs. Walter Saxon. Saxon was a woman known for guiding tourists through the French Quarter. By then, the house on St. Ann had become somewhat of museum...a place people wanted to see, and a stop on the informal tour of Marie Laveau’s life.

According to a newspaper account, Saxon noticed the object sitting on a mantel at the house on St. Ann and immediately admired it. Philomene, perhaps out of generosity, or maybe out of fatigue gave it to her. The object was described as a Dresden china candelabra, long and spiral in shape, about two feet tall. It was said to have been given either to Marie Laveau or to Marie’s mother. Whatever its exact origin, the family had preserved it for a long time. Then..just like that, it left the house.

When I first read the story, I was struck by how easily an object so intimate seemed to pass out of the family’s hands so quickly. But the more I considered Philomene’s position, the more complicated the gesture became. After Marie's death in 1881, Philomene was pushed into the role of reluctant family spokesperson. Reporters, nosy tourists, writers, and all kinds of people came to the house looking for stories.

So, Philomene had to decide what to reveal and what to keep silent. She also had to consider what to preserve and what to give away. Her words would ultimately shape what people remembered, but once those words left her mouth they no longer remained etched in her memory. They became part of the legend of Marie Laveau...and others would add and takeaway from the narratives as they saw fit.

In that sense, the story of the vase parallels the Marie Laveau’s legacy. Both moved from the realm of lived experience into the realm of public fascination,