Harold Baquet, acclaimed photographer and activist, dies

29th June 2015   ·   0 Comments

Harold Baquet, an acclaimed photographer and activist whose photos captured cobalt sale the heart and soul of the Crescent City for more than three decades, passed away at his home on Thursday, June 18, after a lengthy bout with colon cancer. He was 56.

Baquet was a seventh-generation New Orleanian who hailed from one of the 7th Ward’s most prominent families.

Baquet, whose photographic services were utilized by the administrations of both the late Mayor Ernest “Dutch” Morial and former Mayor Sidney Barthelemy, used his skills as a photographer to capture the history, culture and beauty of New Orleans and its people. Those who knew him said his passion for all things New Orleans was rivaled only by his unshakeable faith.

That faith prompted Baquet to join installment loans orangeburg sc others in occupying Our Lady of Good Counsel Catholic Church in 2009 to protest then-Archbishop Alfred Hughes’ controversial decision to close Our Lady of Good Counsel and churches in New Orleans in the wake of Hurricane Katrina.

Clutching his rosary on January 6, 2009, Baquet was escorted out of the church by New Orleans police.

After a war of words ensued between Baquet and Hughes, the two reconciled and the Archdiocese of New Orleans reversed its decision to close Our Lady of Good Counsel.

Loyola University Kevin Wildes said that Baquet was compelled by his faith and conviction to do everything in his power to prevent Our Lady of Good Counsel from closing.

cash loans abq nm “It was a very important place to him because it was a place where he encountered God,” Wildes told Nola.com. “It was, literally, sacred space.”

A spokeswoman for the Arch-diocese of New Orleans told Nola.com that Our Lady of Good Counsel is currently undergoing renovation and is slated to be ready for Masses by the end of the year.

Fellow photographer, Lloyd Dennis, who worked for the City of New Orleans as a photographer during the terms of former New Orleans Mayor Ray Nagin, said that Baquet, a St. Augustine High School graduate, did not hesitate to take a stand on issues that mattered to him.

“He was passionate about everything,” Dennis told Nola.com. “He pushed everything as far as he could push it. If you think about his work at the church, Harold took it all the way to the edge.”

Dennis said Baquet, who was a licensed electrician and had a knack for playing the piano, plumbing, carpentry, ceramic tile and leatherwork, was the quintessential renaissance man.

“He had a wanderlust for knowledge,” Dennis told Nola.com. “I think Harold enjoyed being very, very good at a whole bunch of different stuff.’

Baquet had been battling colon cancer for seven years and retired from his post as Loyola University’s official photographer — a job he held since 1989 — in late 2014.

Although his work appeared in museums from New Orleans to Chicago — best payday loan utah and was published in local and national publications from The Times-Picayune to Rolling Stone — especially cherished on the Loyola campus was Baquet’s special way of connecting with students and the campus community.

From 1989 until December 2014, he served as the university’s official photographer, chronicling the Loyola story through his photographs, which captured everything from incoming classes to building dedications and the recovery of the campus following Hurricane Katrina. His photographs are now preserved as part of the Special Collections of Loyola’s J. Edgar and Louis S. Monroe Library.

Baquet received the university’s highest honors, including Loyola’s Coadjutor Optimus award in 2002, the St. Sebastian award in 2007, and the President’s Medal in 2010. In 2002, the Archdiocese of New kadar interest personal loan Orleans awarded him the Order of St. Louis IX Medallion, which recognizes laypersons who have devoted themselves to the work of the church.

In March, the university celebrated Baquet’s retirement with a special reception and photo exhibit in his honor. Students, faculty, staff, alumni and area residents posted messages of love and support on social media networks using the hashtag #loynolegend.

Funeral services for the award-winning photographer who was born and raised in the Faubourg Tremé were held on Wednesday, June 24, at Holy Name of Jesus Church. A private memorial for family will take place at a later date.

This article originally published in the June 29, 2015 print edition of The Louisiana Weekly newspaper.