Beginning October 21, 2014, the Louis Armstrong House Museum's new exhibit "To Jack Bradley, the 'Greatest' Photo Taker": Treasures from Jack Bradley Collection takes center stage at the museum.
This exhibit celebrates the legacy of Louis Armstrong through the private access that long-time friend and photographer Jack Bradley had of Satchmo on stage, back stage, on the road and at home. Armstrong fans around the world will also have a chance to obtain their own small piece of the collection from the museum's new Print-to-Order feature at LouisArmstrongHouse.org. Exclusive prints of Satchmo with Miles Davis and Tony Bennett are part of the series of photos available.
On the surface,
Louis Armstrong and Jack Bradley couldn't have been more different. Armstrong was a world-renowned musician, one of the most recognizable icons on the planet. Bradley was a salty sailor from Cape Cod, a graduate of the Massachusetts
Maritime Academy and a great lover of jazz. When they met through mutual friend Jeann Failows in 1959, neither man probably realized that they'd grow to be such close friends. Over the last dozen years of Armstrong's life, the trumpeter would tell friends that Bradley was his "white son."
With unprecedented intimate access to Armstrong, Bradley snapped thousands of photos of Satchmo on and off stage and collected any artifacts he could find that were identified with his hero: over 2,500 sound recordings, fan mail, set lists, diet charts, handwritten notes, laundry receipts, rare books, figurines, posters, and more. As the years passed, Bradley, who recently celebrated his 80th birthday at his home in Cape Cod, grew into the world's foremost private collector of all things Armstrong.
Michael Cogswell, Executive Director of the Louis Armstrong House Museum, observes, "It's extremely rare that a dedicated collector enjoyed a dear friendship with his subject. Jack took photos that no one else could have taken and saved artifacts, such as set lists, that seemed ephemeral at the time but that are now priceless."
In 2005, the
Louis Armstrong House Museum acquired the Jack Bradley Collection thanks to a grant from the
Louis Armstrong Educational Foundation. It took five years for the collection to travel from Cape Cod to the museum's archives in Queens and another two years for it to be arranged, preserved, and cataloged. Countless treasures have come to light including previously unseen photographs scanned from the original negatives, letters and telegrams from Armstrong to Bradley and rare recordings from 1920s.
This new exhibit at the
Louis Armstrong House Museum showcases highlights from Bradley's collection, illuminating the special friendship between Bradley, the "world's greatest photo taker" in Armstrong's words, and Armstrong, the world's most famous jazz musician. All of the items are on exhibit for the very first time. The exhibit includes a Giardinelli trumpet mouthpiece given from Armstrong to Bradley; a rare 78
Fletcher Henderson recording, autographed by Armstrong; unique photos of Armstrong in Atlantic City, Framingham, Lambertville and other stops on the road; Bradley's "Louis is God" t-shirt; photos of Armstrong at home in Corona shortly before his passing; a one-of-a-kind "Red Beans and Rice" lamp and much more. Cogswell observed that, "One of the most stunning photographs in the exhibit is a newly discovered photo of Louis and
Miles Davis -- both are smiling. Jack took the only known photos of Louis and Miles together but this one has never been seen before."
Print-to-Order photos are available exclusively at LouisArmstrongHouse.org just in time for the holiday season. Prints start at $6.95 for an 8x10 print. In addition to the Jack Bradley prints the museum, for the first time, has made a series of exclusive photos available for the Print-to-Order feature.
The
Louis Armstrong House Museum is located at 34-56 107th Street in Corona, Queens, 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.
Pictured: Louis Armstrong & Jack Bradley
