Research and Holdings
The New Orleans Jazz Museum is home to over 25,000 holdings— priceless, rare, and one-of-a-kind artifacts, documents, photographs, audio and visual recordings, published books, sheet music, and visual art pieces that inform our understanding of jazz as a historical and living art form. In addition to its own holdings, the New Orleans Jazz Museum is also home to the Louisiana Historical Center’s archival collection, which includes Colonial-era primary- and secondary-source manuscripts, maps, and other documents.
Jazz Museum Collections and Archives
The New Orleans Jazz Museum’s holdings consist of artifacts, documents, and photographs which chronicle the history and evolution of jazz as a genre, as well as the music and careers of the men and women who created, enhanced, and continue in the unique tradition of New Orleans jazz at local, national, and international levels. Included among the holdings are instruments, sheet music, records, tape reels, and personal effects of legendary figures related to the genre. See below for an idea of what the museum houses.
The New Orleans Jazz Club Collections chronicle the music and careers of the men and women who created, enhanced, and continue in the tradition of New Orleans jazz at the local, national, and international levels. It consists of instruments, pictorial sheet music, photographs, records, tapes, manuscripts, and other items ranging from Louis Armstrong's first cornet to a 1917 disc of the first jazz recording ever made.
A list of the New Orleans Jazz Museum’s vertical files is coming soon!
Louisiana Historical Center Collections
The Louisiana Historical Center, begun in 1982 and presently located in the New Orleans Jazz Museum, houses a wealth of primary- and secondary-source materials in a wide range of media. The Center’s extensive archival holdings include French and Spanish colonial-era records, manuscripts, maps, sheet music, newspapers, books, scrapbooks, and microfilm.
Colonial Documents
Manuscripts
Maps
Research Services
The Collections Department is excited to provide access to collections to jazz scholars and researchers, both in-person and virtually. Join Us:
In Person:
Location:
[second floor]
Hours:
We are currently accepting researchers by appointment only. To check availability and book an appointment online, click here. You may also schedule an appointment by email or phone: 504-568-3659.
Rules and Regulations:
The New Orleans Jazz Museum is thrilled to offer its collection materials for on-site research. In order to preserve these holdings—many of which are one of a kind—for future generations, we ask that patrons observe these rules and regulations.
Digitally:
The New Orleans Jazz Museum is in the midst of digitizing its collection of its over 25,000 holdings thanks to a grant from the Institute of Museum and Library Services. Through digitization, the New Orleans Jazz Museum aims to increase access and education for students, researchers, and enthusiasts alike, as well as to ensure long-term preservation and broad integration of resources. The long-term digitization process will ultimately result in an accessible, organized collection that is both digitally and physically secure for museum staff, visitors, and jazz enthusiasts alike. Learn more about the process here - Louisiana Digital Library.