Archival Fellow: Armstrong in Ghana

Reports to: Director of Research Collections

Also works with: Executive Director

Work Locations: Queens, New York; Some hybrid work available

Position Summary: The Louis Armstrong House Museum Armstrong in Ghana Archival Fellow will work directly with the Director of Research Collections for a Full Time, temporary, 18-month contract. The Fellow’s focus will be Armstrong in Ghana, including the exhibition, archival materials, contemporary art, and educational programming at the Armstrong Center and additional sites. The Fellow will also be responsible for supporting the Louis Armstrong Archives more broadly, in accordance with accepted archival standards and practices, to ensure the long-term preservation and accessibility of the collection. This role assists the Director of Research Collections in the planning and implementation of the activities of the Archives, including acquisition, organization, cataloging, processing, digitization, collections care and accessibility.

Compensation: 58 - 60K annual salary, commensurate to experience. A medical insurance package is also included.

The Archival Fellow Program is focused on those with degrees and/or credentials in one or more of the following areas:

• Library Science (strongly preferred)
• African/African-American Studies
• History
• Music
• Art

Mission Statement: The Louis Armstrong House Museum (LAHM) sustains and promotes the cultural, historical, and humanitarian legacy of Louis Armstrong by preserving and interpreting Armstrong’s house and grounds, collecting and sharing archival materials that document Armstrong’s life and legacy, developing programs for the public that educate and inspire, and engaging with contemporary artists to create performances and new works.

In 2024 the museum was awarded the National Medal for Museums from the Institute of Museum and Library Services. In 2025 the museum became a member of New York City’s Cultural Institutions Group – 39 cultural institutions in formal partnership with the city.

The Armstrong in Ghana Archival Fellow responsibilities include:

• Help install the Armstrong in Ghana exhibition in the Armstrong Center and support all related activity including archival material, digital media, visual art works, and performances
• Secure license agreements and delivery of relevant archival materials and art works
• Help develop, deliver, and train others on an exhibition tour for Armstrong in Ghana in collaboration with the Director of Research Collections and Executive Director
• Help develop and provide the logistics for educational materials and panels connected to the exhibition
• Liaise with other organizations who are producing the exhibition on their sites
• Learn and deliver the historic house tour

Additional Archival responsibilities include:

• Catalog, process, and describe new accessions
• Perform preservation assessments and maintains appropriate collection care
• Assist and schedule students, scholars, and others conducting research and supply the available materials and/or information requested
• Answer reference questions
• Develop and oversee digitization of collections materials, including uploading materials to the Digital Collections platform
• Process licensing request through the Digital Collections platform
• Supervise and perform all administrative duties related to archives staff, including work study students, interns, and Fellows, by prioritizing, organizing, and assigning work; training and evaluating staff; reviewing work in progress; and updating the Director of Research Collections on projects and assignments
• Monitor the archival space to ensure the maintenance of proper standards
• Monitor and evaluate trends in archival standards and practices

Technological support, including:

• Website updates and maintenance, in conjunction with LAHM contractors
• Digital Collections platform maintenance and customer service, also in conjunction with LAHM contractors

We are looking for someone who is meticulous, collaborative, and communicative. Ideal qualifications include:

• Four-year college degree or equivalent work experience.
• 3 years of archival experience.
• Excellent office and computer skills.
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills.
• Excellent organizational skills, adept at prioritizing multiple tasks and meeting deadlines required.
• Demonstrated commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion
• Knowledge of jazz, civil rights, and Louis Armstrong as an American icon is a plus
• Bilingual a plus

Hours: 40 hours per week (Full Time). Monday – Friday or Tuesday - Saturday.

Accommodating to weekend and evening events, as needed

Some remote work available.

To apply: Send resume and cover letter to careers@louisarmstronghouse.org

Organizational Background:

Louis Armstrong is a founding figure of jazz —a uniquely American art form – and one of the first great celebrities of the twentieth century. Armstrong entertained millions, from heads of state and royalty to the kids on his stoop in the multi-racial, working class neighborhood of Corona, Queens where he resided for three decades. That home is now a National and New York Historical Landmark and the crown jewel of The Louis Armstrong House Museum, a 3-building campus in the heart of the block. Since 2003, Armstrong’s rich legacy, as well as his wife Lucille’s, has been preserved and shared through LAHM’s 60,000-piece archives – the largest of any jazz musician and through a robust slate of programs that embody the Armstrong values of artistic excellence, education and community. The House partners with innovative musicians, multidisciplinary artists, and contemporary thinkers in order to activate the Armstrong Archives in the creation of musical compositions, dance performances, film, and interdisciplinary collaborations.

Expansion:

In 2023 The Louis Armstrong House Museum initiated a dramatic physical and programmatic expansion with the opening of the new Louis Armstrong Center, a 14,000 square-foot state-of-the-art building across the street from the Armstrongs’ historic home. The Center houses a 75-seat performance space, a multimedia exhibition, and the extensive Armstrong Archives. With new space comes new vision. The Center allows us to continue to preserve the legacy of Louis and Lucille Armstrong and to live the Armstrong values of Artistic Excellence, Education and Community. In 2024 the museum was awarded the National Medal for Museums from the Institute of Museum and Library Services. In 2025 the museum became a member of New York City’s Cultural Institutions Group – 39 cultural institutions in formal partnership with the city.

Health insurance