Trumpet owned by Louis Armstrong
date: label: Date
content: September 1946
name: label: Created by
content: Henri Selmer Paris, French, founded 1885
label: Created by
content: Vincent Bach Corporation, American, founded 1918
label: Owned by
content: Louis Armstrong, American, 1901 - 1971
notes: label: Caption
content: 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.
label: Description
content: 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.
topic: label: Topic
content: African American
label: Topic
content: Jazz (Music)
setName: label: See more items in
content: National Museum of African American History and Culture Collection
label: Classification
content: Musical Instruments
creditLine: label: Credit Line
content: Collection of the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture
dataSource: label: Data Source
content: National Museum of African American History and Culture
identifier: label: Object number
content: 2008.16.1-.3
objectType: label: Type
content: musical instruments
label: Type
content: trumpets
objectRights: label: Restrictions & Rights
content: No Known Copyright Restrictions
label: Restrictions & Rights
content: Proper usage is the responsibility of the user.
physicalDescription: label: Medium
content: brass
label: Dimensions
content: H x W: 5 3/4 x 21 7/8 x 4 3/4 in. (14.6 x 55.6 x 12.1 cm)