Louis Armstrong scholars have access to one of the world’s great repositories of Armstrongiana at Queens College in Flushing, N.Y. Louis Armstrong fans, meanwhile, normally have to content themselves with reading the reports of Louis Armstrong scholars. But Queens College is leveling the playing field, and from Dec. 10 to Mar. 11, “New Materials in the Louis Armstrong Archives” will be exhibited for everyone’s enjoyment. A reception will be held on Dec. 10 from 4:30 to 7 p.m. to celebrate the new equality.
The core of Queens College’s Louis Armstrong Archives is the somewhat uncreatively named the Louis Armstrong Collection, which consists of the master’s personal effects. However, the Satchmo Collection, the college’s name for newly acquired Armstrong materials, continues to grow, and recent additions to it will be spotlighted in the exhibition. Both collections contain materials like photographs, scrapbooks, letters, and musical instruments, and are curated by Peggy Schein.
The exhibition resides in Room 332 of the Benjamin S. Rosenthal Library. It is normally open from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday, but hours sometimes vary, so call (718) 997-3670. Directions to the college are available at www.qc.edu/directions.
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