Memphis to Paris (On a Piano Stool)

Lillian Hardin Armstrong was a pianist, composer, and entertainer. She traveled around the world and entertained numerous fans with her music. Originally from Memphis, Tennessee, Armstrong went to Fisk University for a year, rose up through the ranks in the music industry to play with King Oliver’s Creole Jazz band, and eventually had her own...

What a Wonderful Collage World!

Louis Armstrong was an accomplished musician, composer, and singer. During his free time Louis played his trumpet, wrote jokes, and recorded over 700 reels of audio. But there is one hobby that Louis had that not many people know about- Louis loved to make collages. These collages were made from newspaper clippings & headlines, letters,...

Curated For Your Musical Tastes

As a Fellow at the Louis Armstrong House Museum and Archives I get to see first hand the personal belongings of Louis and Lucille Armstrong. Since beginning my fellowship, I have been fascinated with the Armstrongs’ record collection. For my first curated collection of images on the Collections website , I selected a few images...

Red Beans and Ricely Yours, Satchmo

Louis Armstrong lived from 1901 to 1971 and during his life he traveled over 300 days a year, which could take its toll on anyone physically. How did Pops do it? Well it was a combination of laxatives, a diet high in meat and rice, and entertaining people across the world on a nightly basis....

A Unique Homecoming

Last week was my introduction to being a fellow at the Louis Armstrong House Museum and Archives. I met a lot of new people, saw some old faces, and learned new things about the museum business and working at an archive.  Beginning my job as a fellow at the museum and archives was both a...