IN THE TWENTIETH CENTURY

In 1909, a unique krewe began by doing what no others had done; satirizing Rex himself.  The Zulu Social Aid and Pleasure Club began as a benevolent aid society for New Orleans Black community as a kind of insurance.  The city itself is divided into separate 'wards', with each ward having its own Carnival groups.  One of these groups was called The Tramps.  The Tramps began marching in 1901.  Legend has it that members of the Benevolent Aid and The Tramps attended the Pythian Theatre and saw a skit by the Smart Set entitled "There Never Was and Never Will Be a King Like Me," about the Zulu Tribe.  After a secret meeting between the attendees, the Zulu Social Aid and Pleasure Society emerged, with William Story as the first King Zulu.  Black and white members marched together in that first parade, with every member adorned in 'blackface' makeup, a tradition that continues to this day.  King Zulu the First wore a lard can crown and carried a banana stalk sceptre, with the members attired in rags and tatters.  Instead of a riverboat, he arrived on an oyster lugger.  The famed coconuts first appeared in 1910 in their natural hairy state.  It was another few years until a sign painter named Lloyd Lucas would scrape and paint the coconuts, to create the highly-collectable handcrafted coconuts seen today.
During the bloody years of the first World War, Mardi Gras was cancelled, which began a long struggle for the celebrations.  Certain traditions were lost during this time, the most notable of which was the Lundi Gras arrival of Rex.  Prohibition put a large strain on a holiday designed for drinking and the crowds diminished.  No sooner had Prohibition been repealed than the Great Depression sent the country into a permanent money slump and Carnival fell victim again.  But by 1934, the festivities began to grow once more as the Krewe of Alla brought Mardi Gras parades to the Westbank of New Orleans.  Automobiles became plentiful, and the modern truck floats began to appear, beginning with the Elks Krewe of Orleanians in 1935.  The Krewe of Hermes started parading in 1937, followed in 1939 by the Krewe of Bablylonians.  World War II shut Mardi Gras down again in 1941, remaining dormant until 1946 where it once again exploded and flourished.

THE FIFTIES AND THE ROYAL SEAL OF APPROVAL

From 1946 on, Mardi Gras grew at an exponential pace, entering a new plateau that would continue until the early 1960's.  New krewes began popping up left and right.  In 1956, legitimate royalty again visited New Orleans in the form of the Duke and Dutchess of Windsor.  The royals created an international sensation when they bowed to Rex and Comus at the ball that year, marking the first time in the modern era (or perhaps of any era) when members of the Royal family paid homage to the artificial royalty of Carnival.  Truly an historic event.  The Korean War put out the flambeau in 1951, but members of several krewes banded together to form the one-Gras-only Krewe of Patria.
Also during the 1950's, the old-style mule-drawn floats gave way to tractor-pulled ones, and the Krewe of Zeus began parading, bringing the celebrations to Metairie.
Next up, the Sixties bring new faces, old problems, and a long lethargic period when Mardi Gras lost its shine.