Jazz trove to return to Old Mint

NEW ORLEANS -- The jazz collection that for two decades before Hurricane Katrina was housed in the Old U.S. Mint in New Orleans will be overhauled, updated and, in about two years, moved back into its historic French Quarter home.

The collection includes sheet music, photographs, records, manuscripts and instruments from some of the city’s earliest jazz musicians. Among the most prized items in the collection is a cornet once played by Louis Armstrong.

While most of the collection survived Katrina -- even as the storm’s winds in August 2005 ripped off large sections of the mint’s copper roof -- some items were damaged from the dampness and lack of proper air conditioning.

After two years and nearly $5 million in repairs, the mint reopened in October.

On Thursday, it was announced that the National Park Service will help restore the jazz collection, enhance its display when it returns to the mint and help build both indoor and outdoor performance spaces.

“This is an opportunity to reintroduce this collection in a new format and include some multimedia aspects,” said John Quirk, who is heading the effort for the park service.

The park service chose the jazz collection and mint -- which is part of the Louisiana State Museum -- as one of 100 projects it plans to support in honor of the park service’s centennial celebration.

Quirk said the park service is matching $27 million for 100 projects over the next 10 years. Money has already been raised by the Louisiana State Museum to restore the exhibit, and the park service is designating $2 million to construct the performance areas, among other things, Quirk said.

The grand opening of the overhauled jazz collection and new performance spaces is slated for early 2010, Quirk said.