Archive Alive

This evolving series shines a spotlight on the rich histories and everyday lives of Armenian communities around the world, as seen through the photographs, ephemera, and oral histories preserved in our archive. Each installment will feature a specific community, its people, and stories.

This is an ongoing initiative — and an invitation. We welcome individuals and communities to contribute their photographs and stories to help expand the archive and deepen the narrative.

Community Portraits of the Armenian Diaspora

Boston
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Boston

Boston stands as one of the most significant Armenian-American communities in the United States, with roots stretching back to the late 19th century. The city became a beacon of hope for Armenian immigrants fleeing persecution and seeking new opportunities in America…

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New York
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New York

New York City has been home to one of the largest and most diverse Armenian communities in the United States since the late 19th century, with Armenian immigrants drawn to the city's economic opportunities and cultural diversity…

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Los Angeles
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Los Angeles

Los Angeles emerged as the largest Armenian population center in the United States by the late 20th century, transforming from a small immigrant community into a vibrant metropolis of Armenian life that rivals any diaspora community worldwide.

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Paris
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Paris

Paris has served as one of Europe's most important centers of Armenian intellectual and cultural life since the early 20th century, attracting Armenian students, artists, writers, and political activists who helped shape modern Armenian identity.

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London
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London

London's Armenian community represents one of the oldest and most distinguished Armenian settlements in Western Europe, with roots extending back to the 17th century when Armenian merchants established trading connections with the British Empire.

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Iran
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Iran

The Armenian community in Iran represents one of the oldest continuous Armenian populations outside of Armenia itself, with roots dating back over 400 years to the early 17th century when Shah Abbas I relocated thousands of Armenians from their homeland to develop commerce and crafts in his empire. The community established itself primarily in Isfahan, in the district of New Julfa, which became one of the most prosperous and culturally significant Armenian communities in the world…

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Aleppo
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Aleppo

Aleppo served as one of the most important centers of Armenian life for over a century, with the community's roots extending back to medieval times but flourishing particularly after 1915 when thousands of Armenian genocide survivors found refuge in the city…

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Beirut
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Beirut

Beirut emerged as the cultural and intellectual capital of the Armenian diaspora in the Middle East, following the Armenian Genocide of 1915. The city became home to tens of thousands of Armenian refugees who rebuilt their lives in Lebanon's cosmopolitan environment…

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Armenia
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Armenia

Armenia, as the ancestral homeland, holds a unique position in Armenian photographic heritage, representing both the roots of Armenian civilization and the dreams of diaspora communities worldwide. The territory that comprises modern Armenia has been continuously inhabited by Armenians for over two millennia, and photographs from the late 19th and early 20th centuries capture the traditional way of life that existed before the devastating events of 1915…

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Watertown
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Watertown

Watertown, Massachusetts, holds a unique distinction as the heart of Armenian-America, earning the nickname "Little Armenia" for its exceptionally high concentration of Armenian residents. Beginning in the early 1900s, Armenian immigrants were drawn to Watertown's industrial opportunities, particularly in manufacturing and skilled trades…

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Worcester
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Worcester

Worcester's Armenian community represents one of the earliest and most enduring Armenian settlements in New England, with the first Armenian families arriving in the 1880s to work in the city's thriving manufacturing sector…

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Oral History Collection