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Trumpet owned by Louis Armstrong

National Museum of African American History and Culture

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Object Details

Created by
Henri Selmer Paris, French, founded 1885
Vincent Bach Corporation, American, founded 1918
Owned by
Louis Armstrong, American, 1901 - 1971
Caption
This 1946 Henri Selmer B-flat custom-made and inscribed trumpet belonged to Louis Armstrong. Armstrong had been playing an earlier version of a Selmer trumpet since 1932. Even though he believed you could play a trumpet for a long time, he had the habit of playing his trumpets for approximately five years before he passed it on as a gift to a friend or colleague. In February 1946, Armstrong’s manager and close friend, Joe Glaser, wrote to Selmer Instrument Company and asked for a new trumpet custom-made for Armstrong’s use. Selmer agreed and presented him with this inscribed Selmer B-flat trumpet. This personally inscribed trumpet was made only for Armstrong and was not mass produced.
Description
A brass trumpet with mouthpiece and case. The trumpet has a Henri Selmer Paris inscription near the bell and valve case, and "Louis Armstrong" is engraved on the leadpipe.
Credit Line
Collection of the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture
September 1946
Object number
2008.16.1-.3
Restrictions & Rights
No Known Copyright Restrictions
Type
musical instruments
trumpets
Medium
brass
Dimensions
H x W: 5 3/4 x 21 7/8 x 4 3/4 in. (14.6 x 55.6 x 12.1 cm)
See more items in
National Museum of African American History and Culture Collection
Classification
Musical Instruments
National Museum of African American History and Culture
Topic
African American
Jazz (Music)
Record ID
nmaahc_2008.16.1-.3
Metadata Usage (text)
CC0
GUID (Link to Original Record)
http://n2t.net/ark:/65665/fd59839eca5-786d-4261-acf3-1d264ee3a271

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