Photographic album of the city of New Orleans comprising the principal business houses and views of the city

Book of cyanotype photographs of New Orleans businesses created by photographer Edward T. Adams and compiled by publisher Albert D. Hofeline, 1887. The majority of the photographic prints appear facing a page with a printed advertisement for the business depicted in the image. The images often depict the staff of the business in front of its building. Several of the advertisements include detailed pictorial engravings and they all describe the goods and services of the business

Images of buildings identified with individual retailers include John Bastian, a book and picture dealer; William L. Cushing, a machinery dealer; E. C. Fenner, a carriage dealer; A. W. Hyatt, a stationer; Frank Keehn, an agent for the Anheuser-Busch Brewing Association; David Lemley, a tinsmith; J. C. Morris, a woodenware dealer; John P. Richardson, a dry goods dealer; and W. G. Tebault, a furniture dealer

Images of factories and manufacturers include Lhote & Co., door and sash factory and lumber yard; Adolph G. Ricks & Co., leather and shoe findings; Joseph Schwartz, a dealer and manufacturer of wagons and carriages; and the Steam Candy Manufactory of confectioner C. H. Miller, which includes a man standing on the sidewalk with a display board advertising Diehl & Johnson Fireworks

Images of grocery businesses include Clark & Meader; D'Amico, Sidotti & Lewis; John T. Moore, Jr. & Co.; and Schmidt & Ziegler. The image of Clark & Meader includes its delivery wagon and an African American male laborer

Images of hotels include the Hotel et Restaurant de la Louisiane, the Hotel Vonderbank, and the Hotel Victor, which also housed Victor's Restaurant

Images of insurance company buildings include Factors' and Traders' Insurance Company, Hope Insurance Company of New Orleans, and New Orleans Insurance Company

Images of newspaper offices include the Daily Picayune and Times-Democrat. The latter image includes African American delivery boys posed standing in front of the building

Images of other commercial buildings include the Avenue Theatre with a large crowd of people outside the building, the New Orleans National Bank building, and the Soulé Commercial College and Literary Institute with men and boys posed standing on a sidewalk outside the building

Images of retail business buildings include A. Baldwin & Co., a hardware dealer; A. Brousseau's Son, a carpet merchant; A. Geiger & Company, cloth merchants; Comptoir Industriel Belge, an importer from Belgium and France; Frantz and Opitz, jewelers; Hunter and Genslinger, stationers; John Gauche's Sons, china dealers; and the regional offices for the Nonotuck Silk Company

Images of tobacco factories consist of United States branch factories of the Real Fábrica La Honradez (La Honradez Tobacco Manufacturing Company) and the Ramon Allones Havana Cigarette Manufacturing Company. The latter image includes women laborers peering out the windows and its accompanying advertisement underscores its "Red Cross" Havana cigarettes by using red ink in the printing

A few images depict machinery. An image depicting the Louque's Improved Balanced Engine, invented by Charles Louque, a lawyer in New Orleans, faces a description of the engine. An engraving of a web perfecting printing press manufactured by Water Scott & Company faces an advertisement for the Daily States newspaper

Business advertisements without photographic representations include the wholesale grocery firm of Parker and Hart; John Bassich, Jr., an attorney and counselor at law; John Bastian, a stationer and frame maker; Paul Bordenave, a grocer; the Garden District Bakery; French Market Tea Depot; John Schmitt Restaurant and Saloon; Crescent City Book Bindery; and the branch office for Thomas Fawcett & Sons, coal and coke dealers. Other advertisements include a prospectus of the College of the Immaculate Conception and an announcement for Arlaud's Strengthening Elixir, developed and distributed by druggist Leon Arlaud

Images of locations that do not represent adjacent advertisements include views of cemeteries, waterfront, ships, and incidental views. Views of cemeteries include the Confederate Memorial Monument in the Greenwood Cemetery and a monument to the Washington Artillery of New Orleans in Metairie Cemetery (also known as Howard Cemetery). Views of waterfront in New Orleans include the steamboat landing at the foot of Canal Street; Bayou Saint John at the foot of Esplanade Street; Lake Pontchitrain at Pass Christian; and West End. Views of ships include an English steamship loading cotton and a Brazilian man-of-war. Incidental views include an overview of Jackson Square, including the monument to Andrew Jackson, St. Louis Cathedral, Presbytère (court building), and Cabildo (city council building), in addition to an interior view of the Church of the Immaculate Conception (also known as Jesuits Church) on Baronne Street