The most renowned portrait photographer of the 20th century, Yousuf Karsh was chosen by the International Who’s Who as one of the 100 people who have most influenced our era. Fleeing the horrors of the Armenian massacres for Canada, Karsh apprenticed in Boston in 1929 with John Garo, a prominent photographer. Influenced by the humanistic atmosphere of Garo’s studio, Karsh decided to dedicate his life’s work to “photographing the great in spirit, whether they be famous or humble”. ALMA is proud to present this permanent collection of his work, a gift from his wife, Estrellita Karsh.

This exhibition, on display in ALMA’s Bedoukian Gallery, was designed by Keith Crippen and features Karsh photographs of great personalities of the world, ranging from Winston Churchill, Helen Keller, to Aram Khachaturian and Albert Einstein.

“We are small in numbers, but large in heritage.”
Armenians are an ancient people, with a rich complex history and culture spanning 3,000 years. In 1971, community leaders founded the Armenian Library and Museum of America (ALMA) and Watertown is today the “Little Armenia” for generations of Armenian-Americans.
This gallery’s exhibition displays only a small sampling from the vaults, carefully selected by the Museum’s curator, board, and staff. The works displayed are some of the finest in ALMA’s collection.

All nations have a story to tell. The epic story of the Armenian people is a saga of perseverance, cultural triumphs and survival as a people throughout long periods of oppression, destruction and genocide. Armenians have always had a tenacious spirit that carried them through disasters while reaching cultural heights as exemplified by: Armenia's pre-Christian period, the nation being the first to adopt Christianity in AD 301, the creation of the Armenian alphabet, the dawn of the glorious Golden Age of literature in the 5th century, the important role of the Armenians in the Byzantine empire and during the Crusades, and the literary reawakening in the 18th and 19th centuries.

Discover this amazing story here at the Armenian Library and Museum of America. Learn about this wonderful cultural heritage. Find your own answer to the question: Who are the Armenians?

Download the brochure of the exhibition

The exhibit is a stunning visual narrative of the events of the 1915-1923 Genocide, and the continuing aftermath and denial by the Turkish government over generations. The exhibit’s texts and overall design were created by an ALMA committee: Haig Der Manuelian (Chairman), Dr. Barbara Merguerian, Gina Hablanian, Gary Lind-Sinanian, and Arakel Almasian, assisted by a number of outside consultants. The striking wall graphics were designed by Ed Malouf of Content Design Collaborative.  The visitor will find a chronological narrative of the tragic events leading up to World War 1, the years of Genocide (1915-1923), and the continued denial to the present.

The official opening of the exhibit in May 2011 was marked by a ribbon-cutting ceremony, performed by the first Armenian Ambassador to the United States (1993-1999), Rouben Shougarian.

The exhibit illustrates the various genres of traditional music in Armenia and the musical instruments that developed there. The exhibit examines varied styles including religious, folk, troubadour, and contemporary and the unique American-Armenian musical style played at picnics in the United States.The exhibit was made possible by contributions in memory of Frederick Margosian. The exhibit is located in the Simourian Family Gallery on the Mezzanine level of the Museum.