This watercolor float design is for the Krewe of Proteus from 1882. That was the inaugural year for the new Krewe of Proteus, and its members chose as their first theme "Ancient Egyptian Theology."

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The krewe's first parade had seventeen floats and included recreations of temples, tombs, palaces, pleasure gardens, sacred animals, and resurrection. On the float depicted above, Proteus  himself (the son of Neptune) appeared through mist and smoke and glare of torches on a  papier-mâché float.

The Picayune newspaper described Proteus as "riding upon the back of a huge flying Dolphin that seemed just springing from the crest of the mighty wave that surged beneath. In his right hand he held his scepter of authority, while in his left were gathered the reins of his water courser. His flashing armor gave back the light from a thousand glittering points, and the shining scales of his Dolphin shed like a million diamonds. Its enormous wings reflected the colors of the rainbow. Before him, on the backs of finny monsters, rode his heralds, a Triton and a sea nymph, blowing upon huge horns of sea shell, while about them in the tumbling waters swam hurrying fish of every description."

[Howard-Tilton Memorial Library | Tulane University]