A collection of hundreds of documents commemorating Armenian people, places, and anniversaries has recently been processed and is now available for the interested public to view at the Zohrab Information Center. 

The collection includes commemoration books, pamphlets, event programs and flyers, yearbooks, orders of service for unique church events, and memorial materials for individuals.

This body of materials is a comprehensive look at the many ways in which Armenian people the world over have celebrated each other, organizations and groups, and milestones, a testament to the effort, especially in the Armenian diaspora, to preserve memory in the wake of genocide and exile. 

The collection was processed by Linda Smith, an archival intern at the Zohrab Center who is beginning a graduate program through New York University’s Moving Image Archiving and Preservation in fall 2024. Additionally, Dr. Nareg Seferian assisted with processing and translation of the Armenian and other materials in the collection in non-English languages.

The materials in the collection span over 120 years, originating from 1903 and continuing through to 2024. These items were acquired and donated over the years by various individuals.

The collection’s first series comprises materials related to institutions and is broken down into three subseries: parishes, schools and seminaries, and organizations and other groups. 

There is a wealth of commemoration books for Armenian churches all over the world (with a bulk of materials on churches in America) and several commemorative materials for the diocese itself.

These kinds of items give a glimpse into the rich history of Armenian churches and their impact within their communities. Many of the commemorative books feature letters of appreciation and well wishes from religious leaders as well as politicians, at the local, state, and federal levels.

The second subseries highlights a number of Armenian schools and seminaries around the world, and how they have fostered the education of Armenian students for decades.

This subseries is more global in scope, which allows visitors browsing the collection to get a sense of the span of the Armenian diaspora and its effort to foster spiritual and cultural education around the world.

The third subseries focuses on various organizations and groups, mostly based in North America. 

These groups have supported Armenian camaraderie and causes for decades, with some groups providing specific assistance to children, seniors, and students. Many of these groups continue a legacy of accomplishment and support into the present day for Armenian people. 

Next in the collection is the individuals series. The people represented range from average citizens who worked in a variety of fields to priests and clergymen, from philanthropists to writers and artists of all sorts. 

The clergy subseries has a plethora of materials, honoring the ordinations of various holy men in the Armenian Church and remembering their lives and legacies. They all come with their own stories and personalized material. 

Musicians, writers, and artists form three of the following four subseries. This collection features a varied breadth of materials from creative Armenians, who were active at various points from the end of the 19th century through the 20th century.

Their artistry continues to be appreciated and to inspire new actors, poets, authors, musicians, composers, visual artists, and singers to this day. 

The fourth subseries includes materials commemorating businessmen and entrepreneurs whose philanthropic efforts have been wide-reaching. Whether they generally supported the Armenian community, philanthropic organizations, and Armenian studies at universities like Alex Manoogian or championed public institutions including the New York Public Library like Vartan Gregorian, these individuals used their success to support people and groups in need throughout their lives. 

The final series consists of events and milestones more broadly. These materials either cannot easily be associated with an institution or individual(s), or are of such a general nature that they are better studied in a separate category. A highlight of this series is several materials relating to the 1700th anniversary of the adoption of Christianity as the state religion of Armenia, a milestone commemorated in 2001.

This collection brings together a plethora of resources. The collection shows how Armenians have acknowledged both tragedy and joy for over 120 years, honoring those people and places lost as well as remembering times of growth and prosperity.

All throughout the series highlights the efforts of Armenians, especially in the diaspora, to preserve memory and document their own history.

This collection is now available for visitors who want to research commemorative events and materials and learn more about individuals, groups, and milestones integral to the history and legacy of Armenian people around the world. A searchable finding aid of the collection is available to view here.