Louisiana Tea Rooms

New Tea Room, Second Floor, Kolb's German Tavern, New Orleans, Louisiana; postcard front; because the words "German" and "Tavern" in American restaurant terminology were signifiers for "beer," this photo of the "New" tea room was probably taken before World War One (when Germany was our enemy). The "New" decor is stark and simple, but see the image immediately below for what was to come.

Tea Room, Second Floor, Kolb's Restaurant, New Orleans, Louisiana; postcard front; this tea room "Catering Particularly to the Ladies," with a "hostess in attendance" is apparently a woman-safe dining space situated above the former Kolb's German Tavern, now retitled Kolb's Restaurant. Notice the addition of the ceiling fans, hanging lamps, drapery, hanging plants, vases filled with yellow asters, oriental rug, elaborate ironwork, and a full central row of tables.

Kolb's Restaurant, New Orleans, Louisiana, postcard front; circa the early 1930s, to judge by the parked cars. Kolb’s Restaurant was established in 1899 by Conrad Kolb and was known for its German food. Once the name "German Tavern" was abandoned during World War One, Kolb's advertised otself as a "Cosmopolitan Restaurant." The ladies' Tea Room was located on the second floor, as described above. Other seating areas in the building, as depicted on postcards that have not been archived here, were the Bar, the Grill (presumably for men only) and the Dining Room (for mixed-gender parties and families). The restaurant closed in 1994.