In honor of Mardi Gras, here is a salute to New Orleans, a city unlike any other in America. Airlines and the destinations they serve often promote tourism with a slew of different images. But this one simple image, created by an unknown artist, captures the soul of this amazing city. It works even 55 years later.

FUN FACT: In the 1940s, the New Orleans jazz tradition went through a great revival. Jazz aficionados joined forces to form clubs, set up concerts, and build recording studios, restoring New Orlean’s reputation as the “birthplace of jazz.” (Source: American Historical Association)