Arthur Hardy our Mardi Gras guide is supported by these generous donors.

Hancock Whitney is honored to support Arthur Hardy our Mardi Gras guide for over 125 years.

Hancock Whitney Bank has served communities across the Gulf South, honoring the local traditions and shared moments that bring the carnival season to life.

Spanning ten decades and four generations, Kern Studios has designed and built the Mardi Gras parades that define New Orleans.

Carnival Blain Kerns Mardi Gras world is welcome.

Millions of visitors offering a behind the scenes look at this creative process.

They are honored to support this program, celebrating their longtime friend and his extraordinary ability to capture the spirit of New Orleans Carnival.

Support also comes from.

The First Super Crew Bacchus 1969.

Thank you Arthur Hardy for your passion and support of Bacchus Sunday.

A night of spectacular iconic floats sparked by imagination.

The crew of Orpheus salutes Arthur Hardy for sharing the rhythm, rhyme and revelry of Mardi Gras with the world and for honoring everything that makes Carnival the magical tradition that binds us all.

The mystic krew of Femme Fatale proud to support this documentary on Arthur Hardy, who has meant so much to the New Orleans Carnival community for 50 years.

MKFF parades Uptown on the first Sunday of the Mardi Gras season.

Additional support comes from crew of Argus, creating Carnival Day for Jefferson Parish for over 50 years.

The Knights of Babylon, celebrating the majesty and heritage of one of Carnival's most iconic night parades.

The Rex organization, who salutes Arthur Hardy for his 50 years of preserving and enhancing the traditions of Carnival.

Krewe of the rolling Elvi rocking and rolling Mardi Gras since 2003.

The krewe of tux, known for its irreverent uptown parade and unique throws.

The Valentino family of New Orleans, in appreciation for all Arthur has done for Warren Easton High School and our great city.

Additional support also comes from krewe of Carrollton, the Alden and Margaret Laborde Foundation, and by the WYES Producer Circle, a group of generous contributors dedicated to the support of WYES local productions.

Visit WYES dot org to see a list of additional funders of this documentary.

- It is a Mardi Gras milestone, the Golden Jubilee of Arthur Hardy's legendary Mardi Gras Guide.

For 50 years, this Carnival Bible has captured the heartbeat and spirit of the season, the parades and pageantry, the royals, the revelry, the timeless traditions, secrets and surprises, plus the wonder and whimsy that make Mardi Gras shimmer with magic.

And if it's carnival "Whoop, there he is!"

You can - Catch the dance connection issue.

- Arthur Hardy is on TV and radio telling us something we probably didn't know about Mardi Gras - Throughout the history of Carnival in New Orleans, Mardi Gras has made news far beyond our city limits, but no event can match what happened here in 1950.

- That's when the Duke and Duchess of Windsor bowed and curtsied before the make believe royals of Carnival Arthur is also previewing parades showing us what to watch for and the throws we might want to catch - And doubloons attached to boxes of chocolate.

Not bad!

For Eye On Carnival, I'm Arthur Hardy!

- This native New Orleanian whose family briefly lived in the St.

Thomas Public Housing project was not a child of privilege.

- We were poor.

We never had a car or owned a house.

For the first seven years of my life, we actually shared a bathroom with another family - In junior high.

He couldn't attend school with classmates for months because he was in a body cast.

- I had a bad back.

I had a congenital defect and needed a, a spinal fusion.

- That setback forced him to repeat ninth grade because he had been absent for so long, even though he had completed all of the schoolwork.

Despite that, he excelled at Beauregard Junior High when he did go back.

The faculty naming him the ideal boy, the school's highest honor.

At Warren Easton High School, Arthur became captain of the band, senior class president, and the students voted to give him another honor naming him Mr.

Easton.

A turning point in his life came when he got a part-time job answering phones at WSMB Radio and it led to his first publishing job, putting together a small booklet of every football game that would be on radio and the three commercial network TV channels at that time.

- And we do 50,000 copies and you send in a self-addressed stamped envelope and we mail you one - Arthur's spinal surgery kept him out of the Vietnam War and qualified him for a medical rehabilitation scholarship to Loyola, where he earned a degree in music education, plus met and married his wife, Susan Reboul Hardy.

In his first job, Arthur taught English and became band director at Beauregard Junior High, where he had been a student.

Eventually he became band director at Brother Martin High School.

As band director, he worked his way up in the Louisiana Music Educators Associ becoming its youngest president ever.

In 1978.

In 2002, he was elected to its Hall of Fame.

In the early seventies, the Hardys were both teachers and wanted to boost their income - The first idea - Was - Was to do a book on all the local bar rooms in New Orleans, - Because I knew a lot about tho - And we rode around and took, I don't know, hundreds of photos.

- Yeah, we did.

But they figured the credit union for the Archdiocese of New Orleans where they hoped to get a loan to finance their business would frown on that.

- So we came up with the idea for a a Mardi Gras Guide.

You know, you got a TV guide to lay out a week's worth of television viewing.

Why not a Mardi Gras Guide?

And nobody had ever done it.

- But since Arthur was already a full-time band director, he had to ask Brother Martin High School for permission to start a magazine business on the side.

- I had the the greatest job in in the world.

And thanks to the Brothers of the Sacred Heart, they allowed me to do the Mardi Gras Guide as a part-time job with their permission and encouragement.

- So in 1977 with their friend and business partner, the late John Drury, the Hardys launched their magazine business with a $5,000 loan from the credit union.

And this was their very first Mardi Gras Guide.

- It was all other than a one-color cover, all black and white, no ads, no stories, just simply essential parade information.

The idea was really solid, but, but getting it off as a business was anything but easy.

- What kind of experience did Arthur bring to the business?

- None other than as a kid going to parades, the marching parades, and as a band director, a lot of organizations would reach out to hire our band.

So I had some limited contacts there, but I was hardly an expert - In the beginning, before computers, before the internet, they spent months in the library researching microfilm and microfiche.

It was extremely labor-intensive - I borrowed a typewriter from Brother Martin.

He took it home and typed everything up ourselves.

I mean, it, it was completely primitive.

- We had a lot of help from from my family.

- Yeah, - And from Art's family.

- Yeah, - I mean, when we were working on the weekends on the magazine, my mom and dad would take the kids.

- Arthur says, unfortunately, their business partner John Drury died in 1991, but he was essential in those early years.

- He designed all the maps.

He and I used to deliver all of the magazines.

- Stores only agreed to sell the magazines if Arthur and his partners took back what they didn't sell.

- The first year we did 5,000 magazines, but we only sold 1500 copies and we, we trashed the rest of them.

- The following year they sold out almost all 5,000 copies.

Then for the next year, - We roll the dice, we're gonna do 10,000 copies.

And that was 1979.

The year of police strike - That meant no Mardi Gras parades in the city - Just about wiped us out.

After three years we were in debt and had a lot of magazines stored, but we stuck with it.

- We just figured every year it was gonna get better and better and better.

- Our circulation peaked at about 130,000 in 2001.

- They had no money to advertise but Arthur came up with a workaround.

- We gave our magazines away to various stations who would promote it.

We did mail outs to travel writers in all 50 states, and oddly enough they'd say, Hey, this is, this is something you ought to buy if you go to New Orleans.

- Early TV appearances on WGNO and Cox Cable helped spread the word about the Mardi Gras Guide.

- Television was the greatest thing that ever happened to, to the Mardi Gras Guide.

- And a big break came in the 1980s when then WWL-TV news director Joe Duke, offered Arthur a chance to do a series of segments on Channel four, about each night's parades.

He wouldn't get paid, but the station had a massive audience at that time, - Huge audience.

He was in the 60 shares one time we did a 68 share.

That's outrageous.

That's that.

That show may have had the biggest audience in the country as far as percentage of viewers.

- No, no.

Channel four did not pay me.

I I should have paid them.

You know, - He was able to promote the Mardi Gras Guide, but he, but he became a television personality.

He's like a school teacher teaching you something with the fervor of a fan.

He's excited about telling you about it.

- And now here's a look at tonight's parades.

- My first year we did 40 3-minute packages, which it nearly killed me, you know, but it was, it was so much fun.

- And if you're lucky, you may get the crew of Caesar panties for our carnival.

I'm Arthur Hardy.

- After 16 years at Channel four, WDSU paid Arthur to move to Channel six.

In 2016, Fox eight celebrated his move to its coverage.

By then Arthur was a bonafide carnival historian in close touch with all the new trends and key carnival leaders.

He's like having almost an investigative reporter or a beat reporter, at least on this subject.

And you can't understand New Orleans and Louisiana without having an understanding of Mardi Gras.

And there's simply no one on the planet who is better positioned to help you with that than Arthur Hardy.

He is a one man industry.

Arthur made six appearances on the NBC Today show.

He also appeared on the annual WYES, special Steppin' Out Its Carniva Time with Peggy Scott Laborde and Errol Laborde.

- They both give great overviews and there's Arthur.

He has chronicled many stories about the New Orleans Carnival really digging deep and it's so much more than, what do I catch?

It's about the beauty, the artistry.

He underscores the importance of the history.

- He had a good idea.

He put out a good product.

He had a good personality, plus he also mastered the media.

I mean, he was always able to establish himself on television and radio and come across very favorably.

But the totality of his work is very valuable to Carnival - Mardi Gras historian Henri Schindler says Arthur Hardy's magazine filled a void in carnival coverage.

He remembers calling the afternoon newspaper many years ago when they mentioned the parade themes, but failed to list the floats.

- And they said, well, we can't do it for all these krewes, so we're not gonna do it for any That was in 1952 and there were 11 or 12 parades the whole season.

- Now we have dozens of parades and the Mardi Gras guide has full coverage of what you can expect to see.

- So the Modi Gras guide was a godsend.

There's the feeling of belonging because his guide, he makes certain that everyone is covered n the guide.

That's the thing I like most about it.

You don't have to seek him out to be included.

You automatically sought out to be included.

He does a great job with that.

Those things bring the community closer together as we celebrate a tradition that you can't find anyplace else.

- And James Henderson Jr.

The President emeritus of NOMTOC, New Orleans Most Talked Of Club, says Arthur Hardy has educated us.

- If you've seen multiple issues of the guide, you've been schooled on the traditions where they come from, bringing forward the story of Mardi Gras so that people can have a better appreciation of why we have that celebration here.

- Arthur's Mardi Gras Guide has been that just essential guidebook.

He's compiled over all those years, so much history, the history of each of these organizations, articles that are written by a whole range of Mardi Gras historians in every single issue.

- Among all the contributors, Arthur Hardy says, Jimmy Clark has written the most, more than 60 articles.

He owned a Mardi Gras throw company called J. Clark Promotions.

But before that, he became a published parade critic in 1974, writing under the name Marty McGraw for the Guide Newspaper Corporation for four years.

He says Arthur knew his background could be helpful.

- Back then the captains were secret.

And so Arthur knew that I knew the right people to interview.

Arthur is the one that comes to me and he said, so and so's got an anniversary this year.

Can you do a story?

- He says, it's hard to name a favorite story, but he really enjoyed doing one about Mardi Gras throws.

- Arthur asked me to do a story on this company that did throws back in the fifties.

The story evolved in how things were coming from Czechoslovakia, the glass beads and everything.

That was a fun story.

- Jimmy Clark says, Arthur's Mardi Gras Guide is a must-read for anyone trying to unlock carnival's past - History is kind of determined by who's writing it.

Based on that, the New Orleans Mardi Gras celebration has been in really good hands.

Arthur has not only chronicled just about every major event during the 50 years of his book, but he's gone even beyond that to the first Comas parade in 1857.

And he had stories from when Bienville first visited Louisiana.

- About a year after starting the Mardi Gras guide, Susan and Arthur discovered they could learn a lot about the history of Mardi Gras by collecting antique memorabilia.

They talked about it on WWL-TV in 1984.

- We try to use, or we're trying to use in our Mardi Gras Guide, the items we've collected because I think, you know, although we love Carnival today, so much of the historical part is lost.

That is the the beauty of the artwork.

And so we'd like to reproduce that in our book and for that reason, we just keep collecting.

- Arthur says they have since donated much of their memorabilia to Loyola University, but they still have a lot and quite a bit of it is valuable.

- These are all invitations to Rex Balls in the late 1800s.

This is the most significant one.

It's to ball was never held because during reconstruction there was no Mardi Gras in 1875.

And personally it means so much to me because it's not only the first one in color and that first coat of arms that they introduced, it's the first piece of Mardi Gr memorabilia I ever bought.

$50!

I saw one on auction at $4,800 not long ago.

So I love this baby!

- One year the Mardi Gras Guide included a story about this krewe's misguided adventure.

- In 1889, the Edison Company was in town and they formed a group called the Knights of Electra, trying to convince people that electricity was safe.

And they wired 128 marchers on foot, tied 'em into a generator, and they had electrified hats.

And it rained.

Nobody was hurt, but it was a a one-off.

Nobody ever said, Hey, it is a good idea, let's try it Uh uh, that was it.

These are some wreck items from our collection.

This is a favor to the 1911 Rex Ball that was given to all the ladies in attendance and it was an inkwell.

In 1912, the ladies that went to the Rex Ball got this beautiful piece that had a functionality to it.

It's a mirror.

The more I got into being a historian of sorts and research I did, I realized that a lot of things that have been printed about the celebration were wrong.

And we started doing serious research, library of Congress, New York Public Library, chasing down some of these rumors.

And we disproved the theory that Rex was founded simply because the Grand Duke Alexis was coming here in in 1872.

That wasn't true.

He was icing on the cake.

Rex accepted our explanation because we had the research to back it up.

Another story I'm pretty proud of, Zulu is always claiming that they were founded in 1909.

We've been able to prove it was actually 1910.

Not that it really matters, but, but why not get it right.

- In 1991, Arthur and Susan expanded their business to include hardcover book publishing.

- Did the first one for Endymion, most recent one for Rex and Osiris.

We've done about 10 different carnival krewes.

- In addition, Arthur wrote an illustrated book about the history of Mardi Gras.

- And then we've done some non-Mardi Gras things like the history of the New Orleans Saints that our dear friend Wayne Mack wrote for us.

And then guys like Angus Lind, Ronnie Virgets, we've done books for them.

So I got to meet these people and become friends with them and, and help their legacies by publishing something.

- Arthur says he and Susan wouldn't have a business without art director David Johnson.

He has designed all 26 of the books they've published and the Mardi Gras Guide since 1991.

- I lay out the pages.

I I also illustrate the cover.

The art he creates on the cover can sell the magazine.

Before I even start thinking about the art itself, I want a concept, interesting concept that tells a story.

Arthur and I collaborate.

Sometimes it's mostly my idea, sometimes it's mostly his idea.

- Since the 2026 magazine marks the 50th anniversary of the Mardi Gras Guide, he says the concept came to him easily.

- It's something to celebrate, that's for sure.

So I said, how do we celebrate?

I came up with a second line.

I have a second line coming down the streets of the French Quarter.

There's a grand marshal.

There's a jazz ba There's all these cheering people in the balconies.

I like to think they're cheering for Arthur.

- And the illustration has a hidden tribute to Arthur who dressed as Robin Hood for an early Mardi Gras.

- So this is Arthur in the Green Robin Hood suit.

And I don't know if Arthur realizes it, but I am standing right behind him in my 1956 Cowboy shirt.

- 12 years after starting the Mardi Gras Guide, Arthur resigned from Brother Martin High to focus on the magazine, but he stayed involved with the school school.

And in 2022, Brother Martin honored him by creating the Arthur Hardy Fine Art Scholarship.

Band director Dominick Caronna is one of his former students.

A scholarship like that is something that really personifies the man and what he brings to the table in terms of his expectations.

He expected himself to be a good musician.

So we expect our students to be musicians to follow somebody like that, of that example, - Arthur likes to point out that he's the product of a public school education and he's a strong believer in public schools.

- I believe public school education is the answer to all of our problems.

You know, poverty, crime, prejudice.

Educated people have a much better chance of of avoiding, you know, the the pitfalls of life.

- Arthur's commitment to Warren Easton, his public high school alma mater, is part of his legacy.

He is among a long list of notable figures who have been inducted into the school's hall of fame for their excellent character and outstanding contributions to the community.

In 2005, when Hurricane Katrina devastate Warren Easton, flooding the first floor, the future of this, the oldest public high school in Louisiana was in danger.

- There were a lot of rumors that Easton wasn't coming back.

Because of the damage.

Because of the water.

Because of where it is.

And that it would be turned into apartments, condos, but it was not going to be a school to come back.

- So a group of US alumni from the fifties and sixties got together and said, over our dead body.

This school will reopen.

- I strongly believe that the alumni was the driving force for Easton.

Those original, I think might have been 12 men, was the driving force for Easton to get back on its feet.

If it wasn't for those 12 men, we wouldn't be here.

We might have been condos - Actress Sandra Bullock who has said she fell in love with New Orleans, was looking for a way to help the city after Katrina.

And she was put in touch with Arthur.

- She called me up.

We talked for an hour, and I was just so impressed with how sincere she she was.

And once she came to school and met the kids, she was all in - We raised like $75,000 for the band uniforms.

She matched it to complete our band uniforms and then she helped us raise money with band instruments.

- She also contributed to the school's new health clinic and was there to help cut the ribbon when it opened five years after Katrina.

- So delighted to have somebody of her caliber take an interest in our school.

She and I did the Today Show together and she said, I've never been surrounded by so much integrity in my life as I have in this building.

Loved the kids.

- Arthur says, her attorney suggested as a way of saying thanks for all of her support.

The school might want to name this huge room where they have assemblies and concerts.

The Sandra Bullock Auditorium.

I said, - Sure.

We had planned to induct her into our Hall of Fame as an honorary member, - But it was a setup and of the night when Arthur thought he was going to surprise Sandra with a plaque naming the auditorium after her.

He was blindsided w hen a student announced actually the plaque - Is to honor the selfless and tireless efforts of the one person who has made the Warren Easton miracle possible and inspire us all.

Mr.

Arthur Hardy.

And this plaque will be a permanent reminder of the selfless efforts to help make our lives richer through education and caring community.

Thank you Mr.

Hardy!

- She whispers in my ear, gotcha sucker.

I will forever be indebted to her - Arthur's devotion to giving us a greater appreciation for all things Mardi Gras has led to all kinds of tributes.

Carnival floats in his likeness.

Mardi Gras figures.

An Arthur Hardy washing machine.

Walt Handelsman featuring him in one cartoon and Bunny Matthews mentioning him in another one.

Plus some even more impressive honors, including an invitation to join the Rex Organization.

Mayor Cantrell awarding him the key to the city when he characteristically seemed more concerned about the parade's progress that his own glory.

- It is an honor and it is a privilege at this moment to present to Mr.

Arthur Hardy, a key to the city of New Orleans.

We love you.

We love you.

Say a few words.

- Listen, - We gotta get this parade rolling folks, this is indeed an honor.

Happy Mardi Gras everybody.

Thank you from the bottom of my heart.

Thank you.

- The captain of the Krewe of Endymion, Dan Kelly, offered him another tribute.

Said, we want you to be Co-Grand Marshall, of the Endymion parade to honor your 50 years.

And what an honor, what a way to end a career.

And I had my name on a float.

I mean, this is gonna be cool.

- In addition to appearing on TV and on WWL Radio since 1986, Arthur has been running the Mardi Gras Guide, even after selling it in 2023 to the Georges Media Group, which publishes the Times Picayune, the magazine will continue to be published under Arthur's name, but after Mardi Gras 2026, he will be retired.

- I don't fish, but I do want to travel with my wife.

Got four grandkids, gonna spend a lot of time with them and do something new.

Now I can go to more parades than ever.

You're gonna see me on the parade out pal, I promise.

- The mayor's Mardi Gras Advisory Council surprised Arthu with one more tribute at its 2026 carnival kickoff party, a special accommodation for his 50 years of service.

- Probably a number of people would claim the title of Mr.

Mardi Gras.

Arthur Hardy is Mr.

Mardi Gras.

He has helped publicize this celebration, not just locally, but to the broader public throughout the country, throughout the world.

Everybody has a piece of this.

Every organization that parades, the bands, makes floats, does ar But Arthur has been sort of the glue that holds it together, not just krewe by krewe, but also issues of safety and the politics of it.

Arthur has contributed so much in, in publicizing and unifying and making sense of this really immense celebration that helps define the city.

Arthur Hardy our Mardi Gras guide is supported by these generous donors.

Hancock Whitney is honored to support Arthur Hardy our Mardi Gras guide for over 125 years.

Hancock Whitney Bank has served communities across the Gulf South, honoring the local traditions and shared moments that bring the carnival season to life.

Spanning ten decades and four generations, Kern Studios has designed and built the Mardi Gras parades that define New Orleans.

Carnival Blain Kerns Mardi Gras world is welcome.

Millions of visitors offering a behind the scenes look at this creative process.

They are honored to support this program, celebrating their longtime friend and his extraordinary ability to capture the spirit of New Orleans Carnival.

Support also comes from.

The First Super Crew Bacchus 1969.

Thank you Arthur Hardy for your passion and support of Bacchus Sunday.

A night of spectacular iconic floats sparked by imagination.

The crew of Orpheus salutes Arthur Hardy for sharing the rhythm, rhyme and revelry of Mardi Gras with the world and for honoring everything that makes Carnival the magical tradition that binds us all.

The mystic krew of Femme Fatale proud to support this documentary on Arthur Hardy, who has meant so much to the New Orleans Carnival community for 50 years.

MKFF parades Uptown on the first Sunday of the Mardi Gras season.

Additional support comes from crew of Argus, creating Carnival Day for Jefferson Parish for over 50 years.

The Knights of Babylon, celebrating the majesty and heritage of one of Carnival's most iconic night parades.

The Rex organization, who salutes Arthur Hardy for his 50 years of preserving and enhancing the traditions of Carnival.

Krewe of the rolling Elvi rocking and rolling Mardi Gras since 2003.

The krewe of tux, known for its irreverent uptown parade and unique throws.

The Valentino family of New Orleans, in appreciation for all Arthur has done for Warren Easton High School and our great city.

Additional support also comes from krewe of Carrollton, the Alden and Margaret Laborde Foundation, and by the WYES Producer Circle, a group of generous contributors dedicated to the support of WYES local productions.

Visit WYES dot org to see a list of additional funders of this documentary.