Inside the Burgundy & Dumaine Jazz Archive

Every object in the archive carries a story. From instruments to printed ephemera, each category preserves a different piece of New Orleans musical history.

Historic Instruments

Instruments reveal how jazz evolved across generations of players. Trumpets, clarinets, trombones, saxophones, drums, and banjos each shaped the distinctive sound of New Orleans jazz, and many surviving pieces also show the craftsmanship of the era that produced them.

Vintage Records

78s, LPs, and 45s document performances, artists, and labels from the early recording era through the mid-twentieth century. Records are the closest thing the archive has to a recording of the room itself, and they are catalogued with label, artist, and date where that information survives.

Photographs and Autographs

Historic images capture performances, parades, recording sessions, and everyday moments from the city's musical community. Alongside them sit autographs, programs, posters, and ephemera that document performers, venues, and events.

Together these materials form a visual timeline of the music.

Jazz Folk Art

Paintings, drawings, and mixed-media works by self-taught and vernacular artists record how New Orleans music culture looked to the people living inside it — a parallel history to the one told by instruments and recordings.

Available Online

The archive is published here rather than displayed in a building. Items are documented with provenance, description, and historical context where available, and the collection continues to grow. Researchers, collectors, and educators can enquire about specific items, research access, or image use through the contact form.