The rare collection of the Near East Relief photographs from the Rockefeller Archive Center is to be showcased in a debut exhibition.May 25th – June 8th at the National Gallery of Armenia, opening at 16:00May 26th – June 8th at Naregatsi Art Institute, op
2013-05-25 00:00 | Naregatsi Art Institute
The rare collection of the Near East Relief photographs from the Rockefeller Archive Center of New York, is to be showcased in a debut exhibition in Armenia. Located in the Sleepy Hollow estate of New York, Rockefeller Archive Center is the world's largest 20th century repository of humanitarian missions in which a significant fraction of the rich collection, some 60 million documents, half a million photos and 2,000 films, is directly related to Armenian history and particularly to the orphan care activities carried out by the Near East Relief Committee in Armenia.Naregatsi Art Institute, in collaboration with the U.S. Embassy in Armenia and the Near East Foundation, has brought to Armenia over 200 archival photographs within the frameworks of the "Along the Trails of the Armenian Orphans" project, which will be displayed in three different locations at the same time. On May 25th, the exhibition will be opened in the Murals Hall of the National Gallery, on May 26th at Naregatsi Art Institute's Yerevan center, and on May 27th at Gyumri’s Terchoonian Home Orphanage. All three exhibitions will be on display until June 8th. Admission is Free.The screening of “Armenian Suffering and Christian Aid” Excerpts from Dr. Johannes Lepsius' Documented Reports for the German Orient Mission (Deutsch Orient-Mission), will take place along with the exhibitions in 3 parts.During the fifteen years of its activities, Near East Relief, which is known in Armenia as “American Committee for Relief”, “American Committee”, or just “Amercom”, raised a staggering $116 million to support Armenianrefugeesby opening, staffing, and operating around 200 orphanages, numerous hospitals, dispensaries, as well as shelters for women in various areas of Armenia, Lebanon, Syria, Egypt, Cyprus, Greece, Bulgaria, Europe and the U.S. More than 132,000 children found shelter in the Near East Relief orphan schools, where they were also taught new trades and industries to be able to start their lives anew. The largest of these orphanages is perhaps the "Orphan City", proclaimed as Alexandrapol orphanage, due to which part of the exhibition will be held in Gyumri.“There can be no other sight like it in the world. The earth becomes alive with little white figures, as an anthill is alive with ants. Long lines of them cross and crisscross, linking the buildings together. Thousands of them scatter between the lines, each following his own direction over the rolling plain, a little individual lost in the mass-effect of tumultuous motion...”, - Dr. Mabel Elliott, Medical Director of Near East Relief in the Caucasus, described the orphanage in vivid detail in his memoirs.This event is historic in its extent and significance. It is organized under the auspices of the U.S. Embassy, and the opening of all three exhibitions will honor the presence of U.S. Ambassador John Heffern, founder of Naregatsi Art Institute, Nareg Hartuonian, and Shant Mardirossian, Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Near East Foundation, coming from the United States for this special event. Leslie Malott is also visiting from the U.S. to participate in this exhibition and to deliver a speech. She is the daughter of Azadouhi Gannaway, an Armenian orphan from Marash adopted by the NER missionaries, Dr. Charles and Ruby Gannaway.Naregatsi Art Institute has published an extensive archival photo album, which will be presented to guests at the opening of the exhibition. Besides the reprinted photos, the book presents a brief but thorough history of the Relief Committee, an ideological basis, the activity phases, the strategies aimed at effective fundraising of the Committee, and the initiatives directed towards subsequent aftershocks of the orphans and their further social integration.All three opening ceremonies
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