author
Martha Ann Brett Samuel
A New Orleans preservationist and writer, she helped bring the Garden District’s past to life for modern readers. Her work blends local history, architecture, and a deep affection for the city’s old neighborhoods.
1 Audiobook
The Great Days of the Garden District, and the Old City of Lafayette
by Martha Ann Brett Samuel, Ray Samuel
About the author
Best known as co-author of The Great Days of the Garden District, and the Old City of Lafayette, she wrote about one of New Orleans’s most celebrated historic areas with warmth and close attention to place. The book grew out of a strong interest in the city’s architectural and neighborhood history.
Available sources also describe her as a prominent New Orleans preservationist and a well-known real estate agent, suggesting that her writing came from lived knowledge as well as research. She was born in 1925 and died in 2005.
Though not widely known as a national literary figure, she remains of interest to readers who enjoy regional history, historic homes, and the story of old New Orleans.