Louis Armstrong House Museum

Corona
Queens

The Louis Armstrong House Museum is not a destination for the casual NYC visitor. It’s location almost at the end of the subway system—that part of Queens that is almost Long Island—makes it a location for either locals or the most die-hard jazz fans. If you have half a day and want to see one of the city’s quieter gems, the Armstrong House is a wonderful little spot. And, as it is definitely one of New York’s lesser-known museums, you’re likely to have a semi-private tour. When I went with two friends on a Saturday afternoon (prime time for museum traffic), there were a grand total of seven people in the group, which was good because Satchmo’s house is small! If you go on a weekday, the group sizes could include just you and the guide. 

 As with Rockefeller’s Kykuit (reviewed in August), the only way to tour the Armstrong House is with a docent. The House’s modest Japanese-inspired gardens are open to the public for free, and of course anyone can see the unassuming brick façade from the street, but this is one tour well-worth taking. The interior is just lovely and the docents are so excited about Louis Armstrong (though there seems to be some confusion as whether to pronounce Louis’s name “Luis” or “Lewey,” it seems he went by both) that even if you don’t like jazz, by the end of the tour you’ll be convinced that Louis was the best thing since sliced bread, the cat’s pajamas, and the bee’s knees all rolled into one.

The tour begins with a short video in the Museum’s tiny permanent exhibition space. This small room is filled with some pretty amazing items, like Armstrong’s blue silk pajamas, a gold-plated Selmer trumpet given to him in 1934 by King George V with the words “The property of Louis Armstrong” inscribed on the bell pipe, and a portrait of Armstrong painted by Tony Bennett. Bennett actually painted two portraits on Louis Armstrong. The first was painted in 1970 as gift to Armstrong (upon receiving it Louis exclaimed, “Man, you out-Rembrandted Rembrandt!”) and hangs permanently in the Museum. The second was painted in 2012 and auctioned to raise money for the Museum.

Be sure to ask your guide plenty of questions: that’s where all the really good information is. For example, the video mentions Armstrong’s four wives, but fails the mention that his first wife was a prostitute who worked for Louis when he tried a brief stint as a pimp when he was 18, or that his third wife was a gold digger. One of the women on the tour had recently gone through a break-up and felt it was somehow fitting that Louis got a comeuppance for leaving his second wife for a flashy woman who turned out to be after his money. The home, however, was bought in 1943 by his final wife, Lucille, after touring with him for a year and realizing she did not want a life on the road. It was Lucille who left the building to the city in her will. It had already been declared a National Historic Landmark in 1976, but it didn’t open to the public until 2003, some twenty years after Lucille’s death.

If you have time before or after the tour, be sure to read a few pages of one of Armstrong’s handwritten manuscripts on display in the exhibition space—he jokes about his loud, yappy dogs and expounds upon the virtues of laxatives. One of his quirks was his love of Swiss Kriss herbal laxative. He extolled its virtues and handed out packets of it to whoever he could, including members of the British Royal Family when dining with them after giving a private performance. Armstrong also performed for at least two popes, though it is unknown if he offered them any Swiss Kriss! As joke gifts for friends, he even printed out cards of him sitting on a toilet (as seen through a keyhole) with slogan, “Satch says, ‘Leave it all behind ya!’ ” 

While small, the House is warm and tastefully decorated with items Louis picked up during his international travels, especially during his trips to Asia. The only real bit of flash is the downstairs bathroom, which Armstrong insisted in decorating with wall-to-wall mirrors and a marble sink with gold-plated handles. The upstairs bathroom is calmer, though it does have speakers in the walls so Armstrong could enjoy music during the extended periods of time he spent there. He enjoyed technology and his upstairs studio is filled with sound equipment. Several buttons in the home play clips of some of Armstrong’s recordings; he was known to record casual conversations and dinner parties as well as political speeches from the radio and television. The most beautiful room is the kitchen, which is filled with blue-lacquered cupboards and cabinets. As the Armstrongs enjoyed entertaining, the kitchen has two ovens and built-in electric gadgets like blender, mixer, and can opener. 

The tour and home are interesting enough that even visitors who don’t know anything about Louis Armstrong or jazz will enjoy themselves, so don’t feel bad about dragging along a friend or wife who is little-inclined to take a long subway ride. Tours are given every hour on the hour. A visitor’s center across the street has been in the works since the Armstrong House opened in 2003, but construction on it hasn’t even begun. It will likely bring in more visitors, so take advantage of this sleepy little location while you can.

http://www.louisarmstronghouse.org/