Louis Armstrong House Celebrates Black History Month

This February, in honor of Black History Month, Louis Armstrong House Museum welcomes visitors to explore how the improbable life of Louis Armstrong influenced world music and the civil rights movement. All month, while supplies last, museum visitors will receive a limited edition museum collectible created from the museum's archives. A rare Jack Bradley print of Louis Armstrong has been selected from the museum's current exhibit "To Jack Bradley, the 'Greatest Photo Taker": Treasures from the Jack Bradley Collection." The collectible also provides an enlightening look at Armstrong's role as a civil rights pioneer, which was embodied 50 years ago by his comments on the atrocities that occurred at Martin Luther King's march on Selma, Alabama. "They would beat Jesus if he was black and marched," Armstrong told the press, making headlines around the world. The collectible also includes a touching story by actor Ossie Davis from the making of the film "A Man Called Adam" in which the younger actor came to terms with how much racial strife Armstrong endured throughout his life, strife that is captured in Bradley's photo of Louis, also taken on the set of that film 50 years ago. The museum collectible is complimentary with museum admission.

"Many today do not realize that Louis Armstrong, even after he became a superstar beloved by millions, was often the victim of appalling racial bigotry," said Michael Cogswell, Executive Director of the Louis Armstrong House Museum. "But he never became bitter; he simply continued to transform hearts and minds through the profundity of his music and the genuine goodness of his personality."

It has become an annual tradition at the Louis Armstrong House Museum to celebrate Black History Month with a limited edition museum collectible created from the museum's archive collections. Previous collectibles have featured a rare photograph of Armstrong at the Suburban Gardens in New Orleans in 1931 representing a groundbreaking moment in Civil Rights and a photograph of Armstrong in Buenos Aires in October 1957, wearing Yogi Berra's catcher's mask with Armstrong doing his best to avoid the mobs of adoring fans, a true testament to the power of Ambassador Satch.

The Louis Armstrong House Museum is located at 34-56 107th Street in Corona, New York. The museum is open Tuesday - Friday from 10:00 am to 5:00 pm and Saturday/Sunday from 12:00 noon - 5:00 pm. No reservations are necessary for individuals but groups of 8 or more should call 718.478.8274 or visit LouisArmstrongHouse.org to make a reservation.

Parking is available within the neighborhood and the museum is accessible by subway via the 7 Train.

Admission is $10.00, $7.00 for seniors, students and children and free for LAHM members and children under 4. Groups with reservations enjoy a discount on admission. The Louis Armstrong House Museum is closed on all Mondays and the following Holidays: Thanksgiving, Christmas Eve, Christmas Day, New Year's Eve and New Year's Day. It is always open on the 4th of July, in honor of Louis's traditional birthday.

About the Louis Armstrong House Museum
The Louis Armstrong House Museum is a National Historic Landmark and New York City Landmark.

Thanks to the vision and funding of the Louis Armstrong Educational Foundation, the Louis Armstrong House Museum welcomes visitors from all over the world, six days per week, 52 weeks per year. The Louis Armstrong House Museum is a member of the American Alliance of Museums, Association of African American Museums, Museums Council of New York City, New York State Museums Association, National Trust for Historic Preservation, NYC & Co., and the Queens Tourism Council. The museum is a constituent of Kupferberg Center for the Arts and a cultural institution of Queens College, CUNY.