The glimmering processions of the masked gods and bearded kings of NewOrleans Carnival occupy a central position among the rites and glories ofthis great festival. The long succession of these glowing, torch-litpageants--with their towering monsters and fantastic decors, theirpapier-mch kingdoms and diamond-dust thrones--became the greatest andmost beloved of New Orleans communal rituals.The fantastic parade floats of Carnival's Golden Age (1870-1930)illustrated themes drawn from mythology, epic literature, history, nature,and whimsy. Presented in this collection are thirty dazzling examples oforiginal float designs as rendered in watercolor and lithographs--most ofthem reproduced here for the first time.