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Thread... I’m in New Orleans – and this is Louis Armstrong’s gold plated-mouthpiece. The hand in the surgical glove belongs to David Kunian, music curator of the New Orleans Jazz Museum (@nolajazzmuseum). David was nice enough to tour me through the museum’s archives. 
So here’s Johnny St. Cyr’s banjo. You probably know about him — he played with Louis Armstrong’s Hot Five & Hot Seven bands, as well as with Jelly Roll Morton’s Red Hot Peppers. History in the archives @nolajazzmuseum
Something for the insiders: This bass belonged to Alcide “Slow Drag” Pavageau. You may have heard him on recordings with Bunk Johnson and George Lewis. Interesting: his bass has a church key for tuning...
This is Dave Kunian, music curator @nolajazzmuseum
Imagine the sounds: This mouthpiece likely belonged to King Oliver. (Full disclosure — Dave Kunian says some scholars aren’t certain...)
Ha! That’s Henry “Red” Allen’s shaving kit...
... and this is a cigarette lighter given to Henry “Red” Allen by Gene Krupa.
Imagine the sounds: That’s Barney Bigard’s clarinet
Going back to Storyville days @nolajazzmuseum archives: This “Blue Book” is an index to houses of prostitution in The District, as it was known...
Wardell Quezergue’s tuning fork. New Orleans musicians called him the “Creole Beethoven.” He produced classic sessions for Fats Domino, Earl King, Professor Longhair (“Big Chief”), so many others...
See the cigarette burns on the keys? This piano belonged to Bix Beiderbecke.
That’s Idris Muhammad’s tom, another treasure in the archives @nolajazzmuseum
87 cents to see Louis Armstrong at the Golden Dragon...
Henry “Red” Allen’s trumpet...
... and a trumpet that belonged to Dizzy Gillespie. Diz donated it after visiting the museum years ago, when it was on Bourbon Street.
Imagine the sounds: That’s Albert Nicholas’s clarinet... He played with King Oliver, Manuel Perez, Kid Ory...
Baby Dodds’ slide whistle! He played it on an iconic side or two with Armstrong...
This is Papa Jack Laine’s band trombone, from 1915. David Kunian calls it “one of the first instruments in the collection that had jazz played through it.”
More from Storyville days: a brick salvaged (by Bunk Johnson) from madam Lulu White’s Mahogany Hall on Basin Street.
That’s me and David Kunian. During our conversation, we discovered that we’re both alumni of @WKCRjazz in NYC... I did shows from ‘72-‘76, David from ‘88-‘92...
After touring the archives, I checked out @nolajazzmuseum’s current exhibits. This is Donald Harrison’s Indian suit from the 2008 Mardi Gras. Donald was honoring his father, who is depicted.
These are Baby Dodds’ drums!
This is Louis Armstrong’s first cornet, dated to 1913. He played it as an adolescent at the Colored Waif’s Home.
Here’s Louis Prima’s first violin; as a kid in New Orleans, he played it at St. Ann’s Parish. There’s a major Prima exhibit right now @nolajazzmuseum
Professor Longhair played this piano at Tipitina’s... -30-
