ARMENIAN LIBRARY AND MUSEUM OF AMERICA

ABOUT: CHRONOLOGY OF EVENTS

1971	ALMA founded.

1972	Two rooms rented at First Armenian Church, Belmont, MA, parish house for storage and limited activity.

1974	Oral History Project launched resulting in over 600 tapes of interviews with Genocide survivors. Collaboration with the Armenian Assembly of America in its successful quest for a federally funded Oral History Project.

1975	Contribution of Dr. Stanley Kerr collection of Near East Relief documents and artifacts. Donation of Adele and Haig Der Manuelian Family Collection.

1976	First Exhibit and Open House at Belmont parish house. Display at Boston Museum of Fine Arts, Boston.

1979	Textile Exhibit at Dartmouth College.

1980	Receipt, as pre-arranged, of duplicate oral history tapes from the Armenian Assembly, increasing ALMA’s collection to over 1,400 hours of recorded oral history.

1981	ALMA Exhibit and Banquet at the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston.

1983	Donation by Mt. Holyoke College of its Library Collection of Missionary Artifacts.

1985	Leasing and renovations of 4,000 square feet of space in basement of First Armenian Church, Belmont.

1986

Formal opening of Library and Museum with regular operating hours and part-time staff.
Selective purchase of manuscript illuminations from the Hazarian Collection.
Donation of the Dr. H. Martin Deranian Heirloom Collection.
Exhibits on Moses Hadji Gulesian on saving the USS Constitution, and Dr. Stanley Kerr about Marash.

1987	Donation of William Chad Textile Collection.

1988	Purchase of the former Coolidge Bank Headquarters at 65 Main Street, Watertown, Massachusetts.

1990	Renovations completed and formal opening. Gary Lind-Sinanian engaged as full-time acting curator. Databank of the Armenian Rugs Society received.

1991	Donation of the Paul and Vicki Bedoukian Collection of Armenian Artifacts. Commence rotating of exhibits, programs and lecture series. Donation and exhibition of the Walter and Laurel Karabian Collection of Kutahya Ceramics.

1992	Donation of the Arthur T. Gregorian Collection of Armenian Inscribed Rugs. Exhibitions of Armenian Inscribed Rugs from the Gregorian Collection in Marseilles, France and Montreal, Canada. Acquisition of the Alice Odian Kasparian Collection.

1993	Exhibition of Armenian Inscribed Rugs at Tufts University. Getty Museum conservation grant for ALMA’s Textile Department. Initiation of the support programs for museums in Armenia.

1994	Gontag issued to ALMA by Catholicos Vasken I. Building dedicated to memory of Stephen Papken Mugar and Marian Graves Mugar.

1995	First major Genocide Exhibit at ALMA. Donation by J. Pierpont Morgan Library of large church replica specially constructed for its major exhibition of illuminated Armenian manuscripts.

1996

Publication of the illustrated, English language catalogue for the The State History Museum of Armenia, sponsored by ALMA.
25th Anniversary Benefit Dinner in honor of Armenian Women and celebrating Michele Bagdasarian Simourian.
Major exhibit on Silk Trade.
Installation of a permanent Genocide Exhibit.
ALMA participation in Ellis Island exhibit on Armenian Genocide.
Project SAVE relocates to ALMA’s Mugar Building.

1997	Acquisition of Shalian Collection of books.

1998	Genocide Exhibit in Rhode Island Holocaust Center. Armenian Exhibit at the Providence Public Library. Los Angeles charter membership luncheon.

1999	Sergei Parajanov Exhibit brought from Armenia. Genocide Exhibit at The Holocaust Resource Center and Archives, Queensborough Community College, New York. Benefit Banquet honoring Haig Der Manuelian. “The Doctor is In” Jack Kevorkian Exhibit.

2000	ALMA Website established. Exhibit at “Dreams of Freedom Museum” at the International Institute in Boston, Massachusetts. Donation of Bedoukian Coin and Library Collection.

2001	Major participation in creating the website of the Armenian National Genocide Memorial Museum-Institute of Yerevan, Armenia. Zodiac Exhibit in Los Angeles. Donation by Dr. Rafik Sarkissian of Genocide sculpture “Mother and Child”. Armenian Legion “Forgotten Heroes” Exhibit.

2002

Music Exhibit funded by the Frederick F. Margosian Memorial Fund.
Bequest of Lionel Galstaun Art Collection.
Relocation of Armenia Tree Project’s Boston office to ALMA’s Mugar Building.
Genocide Exhibit at the Longmeadow/Springfield Holocaust Center and the Massachusetts State House in Boston.
Genocide Exhibit at the Massachusetts State House in Boston.

2003	Donation of Georges G. & Elisa Bezdjian Jewelry Collection. “Armenag’s Story: The Life & Lore of Arthur T. Gregorian” Exhibit.

2004	Establishment of the Herbert Offen Oriental Rug Research Collection. ALMA Fellowship project initiated. Mena Topjian Children’s Program Started. Donation of 1207 AD Garabed Gospel Book to ALMA by Julie Der Garabedian.

2005

“The Breath of God: The Bible in the Armenian Tradition” Exhibit.
Completion of installation of English-language descriptive plaques at churches in Armenia
Traveling Genocide exhibit at the Texas State House in Austin, the Holocaust Museum in Houston, Texas, the Patrick Mogan Cultural Center in Lowell, Massachusetts.
Filmings at ALMA for international documentaries broadcast in Germany, Belgium, France, Armenia and Austria.
Digitization of ALMA’s oral history tape collection by TechFusion Inc.
Children’s educational and cultural programs in collaboration with Camp Haiastan.
Blessing of the Garabed Gospel Book by His Holiness Catholicos Aram I of the House of Cilicia.

2006	A Baptismal Dove, a 19th century Silver Chrysmatorium (from ALMA’s Bedoukian collection) was loaned to be exhibited at the Center Against Expulsion in Berlin, Germany. Acquisition of the Sahmanian Textile Collection thanks to Scott Offen’s generosity.

2007

Six inscribed artifacts from ALMA’s Bedoukian and Karabian Collections were loaned to the galleries of the Vieille Charite in Marseille, France, to be displayed during the exhibition “Armenie: La Magie de l’Ecrit,” part of the government-sponsored “”ear of Armenia” in France.
Installation of ALMA’s “Who Are the Armenians” Exhibit, sponsored by late Ann Nahigian, former ALMA Trustee.
Visit by His Holiness Catholicos of All Armenians Karekin II.

2008

ALMA’s outreach programs involving other communities affected by genocides.
ALMA co-sponsored a juried photography exhibition with Armenia Tree Project “Photographic Journey of Armenia’s Natural Treasures.”
Completion of the traveling exhibit “Legion Armenienne”.
Donation of Kasper Pilibosian Oriental Rug Collection.