Cotton was king in New Orleans when Edgar Degas visited his brother here in 1872. Degas came and visited his brother, Alexis, and painted many portraits of his wife, her sister, their children, etc. He rarely left the house (Which you can still see today on Esplanade ave.) as bright sunlight hurt his eyes (He latter went blind). His brother latter eloped with his next door neighbor, abandoning his wife (Also blind) and children. New Orleans Capitalism Web