New Orleans (NOLA) water meter jewelry is a big deal in the Big Easy. Rings, necklaces, and bracelet charms are fashioned after old water meters found scattered throughout NOLA’s French Quarter.
There’s plenty of exciting trinkets to purchase in the birthplace of jazz, before enjoying a beignet and coffee at Cafe DuMonde. But, replicas of the city’s water meters are popular memorabilia even on t-shirts, coffee mugs, and doormats.
Water meter boxes that captivate tourists and NOLA natives were mostly designed by Edwin Ford of Ford Meter Box Company, a company of Wabash, Indiana. Another famous water meter is allegedly the design of M.W. Clark of Mattoon, Illinois
A popular water meter that is replicated on NOLA souvenirs is covered with crescent moons and stars. It’s known as the “Crescent Box that is so coveted” and was designed by Ford in the 1920’s after a trip to NOLA.
NOLA is one of Ford Meter Box Company’s oldest utility customers. By 1924, approximately half of Ford Meter Box’s sales were in NOLA.
In the case of the NOLA water meter, a piece of city infrastructure morphed into an emblem of a city’s culture and fashion.
A system originally designed to meter customers for their consumption of water has evolved into a fashionable way to display NOLA pride.
Water infrastructure and city water systems across the United States have affected local communities in various capacities. But few are more interesting than the legacy of NOLA’s water meters.
If you ever traverse the bustling streets of the Big Easy, be sure to purchase a piece of water meter memorabilia…to complement the iconic fleur de lis tokens , of course!
Some jewelry shops, like Mademoiselle Jewelry, are selling NOLA water meter jewelry while committing a percentage of sales to benefit Hurricane Katrina victims. Consumers can be fashionistas with a cause with NOLA water meter jewelry from designated retailers.
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