Currently located at Queens College, and under the directorship of Michael Cogswell, the Louis Armstrong archives house the largest collection in the world for any jazz musician. Archivist, author, and true Disciple of Pops, Ricky Riccardi keeps busy archiving new artifacts, preparing for the move of the archive collection to the new Education Center being built across the road from Louis Armstrong's House Museum in Corona, Queens, and hosts numerous researchers and visitors. Trumpeter and cornetist Danny Tobias visited one day, and was enthralled.
Louis Armstrong made dozens of reel-to-reel tapes of everything - for prosperity. And he created collages on the tape covers, using adhesive tape. He and his wife created scrap books of all the articles that featured Louis, an archive of his performances all over the world.
Also in the archives are trumpets that Louis played, many with his name embossed or engraved on them, and dozens of mouthpieces.
The archives are open to the public. For more information,
reach out to Ricky.
Louis Armstrong's House Museum is about 15 minutes' drive from the Queens College. Much of the house, where Louis and Lucille lived from 1943 until they passed, has been left as it was when they lived there, and is open for 40 minute guided tours on the hour every day except Mondays and certain holidays.
The photos shown of the house were taken with the permission of the Louis Armstrong House Museum in July, 2012.
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here for more information.
