Tess Mayer Crager, 1899-1985

Called a literary lioness and proprietor of a kingdom of books, Tess Mayer Crager ran the Basement Book Shop near Tulane University from 1926 to 1982. She brought to New Orleans writers such as Edna St. Vincent Millay, W. H. Auden, and Gertrude Stein. She presided over fabled parties for booklovers, and held strong opinions that only hardback books should be purchased. Part of her success was in offering a personal buying service for some 200 people via her little shop on Zimple Street. Crager and her husband also ran a publishing business that specialized in New Orleans authors. Their first book was Lyle Saxon’s Fabulous New Orleans. Another title still sought by collectors was Brennan’s New Orleans Cookbook.

She was also one of the founders of the Newcomb Nursery School mentioned in the Education section.