Photos from Paul J. Allain, Architect APAC's post ... See MoreSee Less

This king may be tiny, but he rules the treetops with style! 👑

Welcome to this week’s edition of #TecheThursday: Birds of the Bayou, where we find ourselves in the presence of royalty: the Ruby-crowned Kinglet.Don't let his petite stature fool you. Measuring at most at just four and a half inches long and tipping the scales at under half an ounce, this little monarch carries himself with all the energy of a caffeine-fueled squirrel. Known for their twitchy, hyperactive behavior, Kinglets flit through the trees with movements best described as “swift, jerky, and erratic”, like me when I've had too much caffeine .These "smol kings" (as the internet lovingly dubs them) are clad in olive-green plumage accented by white eye-rings and striking black-and-white wing bars. But their crowning glory—literally—is the vivid ruby-red patch atop their heads. Usually hidden, this brilliant crest flares up when the Kinglet is excited, turning him from woodland wallflower to forest royalty in an instant.Come fall and winter, you can catch glimpses of the Kinglet darting through the lower brush of piney woodlands along the Teche and across much of North America. But during the summer, they ascend to their leafy thrones high in the conifer canopies.Diet-wise, they are meticulous foragers. Kinglets feast on insects, spiders, and their eggs, and occasionally indulge in berries, seeds, or a sip of tree sap. A menu perfectly curated for a pint-sized king.Have you ever spotted one of these ruby-crowned dynamos in action—and did you catch a glimpse of his fiery little crown?#TecheThursday #rubycrownedkinglet #kinglet #birdswithcrowns #BayouBirds #BayouTeche #LouisianaWildlife #BirdsOfTheTeche #BirdwatchingAdventure #BirdwatchingParadise #LouisianaWildlife #EcoTourism #newiberianative #cajun #artifacts #newiberiatravel #bayoutechemuseum #historyfacts #history #askanarchivist #louisiana #bayouteche #askacurator #museumcollection #museum #acadiana #newiberia #museumlife #louisianatravel #savinghistory ... See MoreSee Less

🌸 Happy Mother’s Day! 🌸

Today, we celebrate the strength, creativity, and love of mothers everywhere — past and present.From the powerful matriarchs in our exhibits to the mothers who inspire us every day, their stories shape our history and our future. Here's some moms from our collection.Bring your mom by the museum today and enjoy lovely day out! We say thank you to the women who make history every day. 💐#MothersDay #MuseumLove #MomsMakeHistory #FamilyDayAtTheMuseum ... See MoreSee Less

It’s time for your annual cleaning… I mean, it’s time for Arti-Fact Friday, and today we’re brushing up on a little bit of dental and barber history. You might even get a shear delight out of it.

This barber-dental chair, possibly from the 1870s, is made of wood with green leather cushioning on the seat, armrests, and headrest. The headrest is adjustable with a screw system, while the back reclines and is adjusted by ratchet and pawl. It was most likely used by a barber-dentist right here in New Iberia. Thanks to the research and findings of archeologists, we know that dentistry has been practiced since the time of the Ancient Egyptians. Typically, until the 1790's, a patient would be seated between the barber-surgeon's knees unless they were lucky enough to snag a seat in an armchair while he extracted a tooth. In 1790, Dr. Josiah Flagg gave dentistry a real head start by adding a headrest to an armchair, effectively creating the first dental chair. In the century that followed Dr. Flagg's invention, there were a large number of patents for dental chairs. Some that were simply rocking chairs and others that more resemble what we know today. In the late part of the 1860s and 1870s, a greater emphasis on patient comfort arose, leading to chairs cushioned with leather or velvet and ornate designs. This is also when popular designs were once again based off armchairs, because they were much more portable for traveling barber-surgeons. Dental chairs, as we know them today, with their fixed reclining seat, were designed in 1958, and can be credited to either Dr. Sanford Golden or to John Naughton. Either way, it was a cutting-edge development that still holds up tooth-day.And that's the tooth!#antiquedentalchair #dentalchairs #DentalCare #getyourteethcleaned #newiberianative #cajun #artifacts #newiberiatravel #bayoutechemuseum #historyfacts #history #askanarchivist #louisiana #bayouteche #askacurator #museumcollection #museum #acadiana #newiberia #museumlife #louisianatravel #artifactfriday #savinghistory ... See MoreSee Less

#TecheThursday just got brighter with our Bird on the Bayou: the Indigo Bunting!

These little sparrow-sized superstars actually navigate by the stars, how cool is that!? Scientists believe they adjust their path based on the angle of the starlight. Basically, they’ve got built-in celestial GPS!During mating season, the males rock a dazzling blue coat—but here’s the twist: they’re not actually blue! Their feathers don’t contain any blue pigment; they bend light to make that shimmering indigo magic happen. Females and off-season males keep it low-key in shades of brown.You’ll find Indigo Buntings hanging out in the eastern woodlands of North America in spring and summer. But come fall, it’s vacay time—they head south to the Caribbean and Central America. On the menu? Berries, herbs, spiders, and all kinds of tasty bugs which are picked from trees or right off the ground.Who says you have to be big to chase the stars? What do you enjoy about looking at the the stars?#TecheThursday #indigobunting #bluebird #BayouBirds #BayouTeche #LouisianaWildlife #BirdsOfTheTeche #BirdwatchingAdventure #BirdwatchingParadise #LouisianaWildlife #EcoTourism #newiberianative #cajun #artifacts #newiberiatravel #bayoutechemuseum #historyfacts #history #askanarchivist #louisiana #bayouteche #askacurator #museumcollection #museum #acadiana #newiberia #museumlife #louisianatravel #savinghistory Photos by: Dominic Sherony, All About Birds ... See MoreSee Less

Crawfish season may be winding down, but the party’s just getting started—today marks the kickoff of the Breaux Bridge Crawfish Festival! And what better time to dig into the fascinating history behind one of Louisiana’s most iconic industries? Don’t worry, I won’t be cage-y with the details this #ArtiFactFriday!

Long before crawfish boils were backyard staples, Native American communities across the country were already catching these tasty critters along riverbanks and lakes as a reliable source of food. When the Acadians settled in what we now call Acadiana, they adopted these time-tested techniques—baiting and harvesting crawfish from natural waterways. Eventually, some plantations even carved out small ponds dedicated to raising the “mudbugs.”It wasn’t until the late 1800s that crawfish started being harvested commercially. During the Great Depression, when crawfish went for just 4¢ a pound, harvesting methods evolved—nets became the go-to tool for the job. By the 1950s, wire traps had taken over, and farmers began the clever practice of re-flooding rice fields to support crawfish farming during the off-season.The earliest crawfish traps made in Louisiana were fashioned from hexagonal chicken wire and looked a lot like pillowcases—earning them the nickname “pillow traps.” But in the 1990s, a new design started making waves: the “pyramid trap.” Built from square mesh wire and shaped like a pyramid, it features three entry tunnels and a handy plastic collar that allows farmers to easily lift and empty the trap. Bonus: the collar also keeps crawfish from making a great escape!The Breaux Bridge Crawfish Festival runs from May 2-4 in downtown Breaux Bridge. Visit bbcrawfest.com/ for more details.So as you crack open those shells and soak up the festival vibes, just remember—there’s a rich and crafty history behind every bite. What's your favorite way to eat crawfish?#breaubridgecrawfishfestival #crawfest2025 #crawfish #cajun #artifacts #bayoutechemuseum #historyfacts #history #askanarchivist #louisiana #bayouteche #askacurator #museumcollection #museum #acadiana #museumlife #louisianatravel #artifactfriday #savinghistory ... See MoreSee Less