National Museum of American History
1300 Constitution Ave., NW
Washington, DC
On view is the cornet on which Louis Armstrong, the founding father of jazz, learned to play. Armstrong was given lessons on this cornet at the age of 11 while in residence at the New Orleans Colored Waif's Home following a run-in with the law. The cornet stayed in the home long after Armstrong's departure and was used to teach other students there until the 1960s. Celebrates Jazz Appreciation Month.
