American Toby Jug Museum 

Louis Armstrong character jug in a trial colorway with a gold cornet handle modeled by David B. Biggs and produced by Royal Doulton of Burslem, England, in 1984. Louis Armstrong's (1900-1971) own words, "jazz and I grew up side by side when we were poor," are a moving testament to the hardship he endured as a child, when on the streets of New Orleans he sang to earn a nickel or dime. He learned to play the cornet in the band of the Waifs' Home where he was sent in 1915 after being arrested. After his release he drifted through a series of jobs before being discovered by Joe "King" Oliver. He soon moved to Chicago where his distinctive style of playing earned him the nickname "Satchel Mouth," which was in turn shortened to "Shatchmo." The future king of jazz started his own band in 1925 and embarked on a successful five-decade career that encompassed big band music, blues, improvisatory jazz and swing. When asked once what jazz was, he replied "man, if you gotta ask, you'll never know." This well-known quote is incorporated in the backstamp of this celebrity jug. A cornet and handkerchief form the handle of this jug.