As the 5th anniversary of Hurricane Katrina approaches, we have been talking about all of the pro-New Orleans imagery that has flooded New Orleans’ stores and homes. New Orleans has had the fleur-de-leis for centuries as part of its early French roots. Another image also represents New Orleans and it’s the water meter cover. Since Katrina, stores have been flooded with products such as home decorations, clothing, jewelry, and even cookware are filled with these two images. Like the ownership of “Who Dat” with Saints fans, the ownership of the water meter cover has come into question.
This is not a logo per say, but it is an icon. An icon that has stood the test of time and clearly defines New Orleans as the Crescent City. It shows the city has a city with culture and one that looks to the arts for even simple things like water meter covers. Other cities usually just have the name of the city on the water meter covers and other utilities, but here in New Orleans it is more than that. It is a piece of art that we walk across each day. Nowadays, you do not see as many of the water meter covers because they become so coveted that many of the covers were stolen as souvenirs.
Have you purchased items with the water meter cover design? One of my favorites is the welcome mat.