Collections On-Site Research

For specific research questions, please use our Contact page form with “Research Collections” as the topic. Our Digital Collections will continue to be accessible 24/7 and are available here.

On-Site Research

The Louis Armstrong House Museum & Archives Collections are accessible to the public, and we welcome many researchers every year from all over the world.

On-site research is available by appointment only. To make an appointment, we ask that you:

  1. Search the Online Catalog to compile a list of items you’d like to study on-site.
  2. Make an appointment.
  3. Bring a photo ID when visiting.

Please note that our collections are currently located in the Louis Armstrong Center, across the street of the historic house at 34-49 107th Street. Corona, NY 11368.

Hours: By appointment only (Monday – Friday)

Admission: Free

Using Photos

The Louis Armstrong House Museum & Archives is the world’s foremost repository of materials relating to Louis Armstrong. For many years, we have been the first place for publishers and broadcasters to acquire Armstrong photos (we hold over 15,000). We welcome proposals for publication, broadcast, exhibit, or other use of photos in our Collections.

There are four steps to this process:

  1. Select your photo(s) by either searching either the Online Catalog, or by visiting us in person for on-site research. (You may also select any photo on our entire website.) If you can’t find what you’re looking for, or are not able to travel to us, we can make a suggestion based on your description.
  2. Submit your information and details about your project through our Contact page, using the Research Collections topic in the dropdown menu.
  3. Within ten business days (though probably sooner) after you submit your inquiry, we will email an agreement to you, prepared according to the information you submitted via email. Sign the agreement and send it back to us together with the fee payment.
  4. After we receive the signed agreement and payment, we will email instructions on how to download your photo(s) (typically a high resolution TIFF file, scanned at 300 dpi).