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Place of Birth
Nancy, Meurthe et Moselle, France
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Place of Death
New Orleans, US
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Burial Place
Saint Louis No 2 Cemetery
The Tale of François Bildstein
Arthur Dale, a man of skill and dedication, honed his craft through an apprenticeship and rose to prominence as the shop foreman at the New Orleans Engraving and Electro-plating Co., a business owned by none other than François Bildstein , Arthur’s uncle.
François Bildstein a man of artistic prowess and entrepreneurial spirit, born amidst the summer heat of August 1855 in Nancy, Meurthe-et-Moselle, France. His journey led him across the vast Atlantic to the vibrant city of New Orleans, where he made his mark in the annals of history.
François was not only an artist but also the proprietor of “The Mascot,” the esteemed magazine of Storyville, that notorious red-light district of New Orleans. His artwork, now enshrined in the New Orleans Historical Collection, offers a window into the political tapestry and tumultuous events of late 19th-century New Orleans.
On the 25th of April, 1885, François embarked on a new chapter of his life as he exchanged vows with Marie Amanda Galatas in the heart of New Orleans. Their union bound them together for twenty-nine years until Marie’s departure from this world on the 1st of May, 1914, at the age of sixty-nine.
In the Bildstein household on Saint Phillips Street, resided Marie’s sister, Ines Clementine, and her son, Arthur, during Arthur’s teenage years. It was here that fate intervened, for just a stone’s throw away on North Robertson Street, lived sixteen-year-old Jenny Maestri, who would later become Arthur’s beloved wife.
Jenny Maestri lived at “A” in the pic N. Robertson while Arthur Dale lived at “B” on Conti St. with his mother Clementine, Marie (her sister) and Marie’s husband Francois Bildstein.
Also Arthur Dale’s half brother Jessie Bosq
It was 1910 and both Conti & N Robertson are on the edge of Storyville.
The shop foreman at the New Orleans Engraving and Electro-plating Co., a venture owned by none other than François Bildstein himself. For two decades, Arthur’s hands danced upon the engraver’s tools, leaving an indelible mark on countless creations. It was at this time Arthur developed the skills to draft his boat patient for his shallow draft design which received patents in both the United States and Canada.
François’s legacy extended beyond the confines of his artistic endeavors, for the New Orleans Engraving and Electro-plating Co. was instrumental in crafting the graphic identity of the esteemed New Orleans Times-Picayune.
In 1929, François bestowed upon Arthur Dale, now a stalwart of his company, a unique honor, naming him the godfather of his fifth child, Maestri Bildstein Dale.
As the years passed, François Bildstein’s presence in New Orleans remained steadfast until his final breath escaped him on the 10th of August, 1935, within the halls of the French Hospital, where he had served as superintendent for five years. His earthly remains found solace in the sacred grounds of St. Louis Cemetery #2, a testament to a life well-lived.
At the time of his passing, François Bildstein resided at 1116 North Derbigny St., his home in the heart of New Orleans, forever intertwined with the city’s rich tapestry of history and culture.
Francois Bildstein
(1855 - 1935)