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BIG NAME PHOTOGRAPHER COMES TO SMALL TOWN MUSEUM
By John P. Aloian, Crimson Staff Writer
Harvard Crimson
Sept 13 2011
MA
As a major American city and historic center of American politics,
history, and art, Boston has always counted important world figures
among its visitors. This fall, however, 25 of the 20th century's most
influential figures plan to make an appearance just beyond the city
limits for the grand reopening of a small Watertown museum.
Perhaps one of Watertown's best-kept secrets, the Armenian Library
and Museum of America (ALMA) is celebrating the unveiling of a
permanent collection of 25 original signed portraits by renowned
Canadian-Armenian photographer Yousuf Karsh. Although Karsh's
photographs spanned a range of genres, it was his portrait photographs
that brought him international fame and recognition. Following the
publication of his now iconic portrait of Winston Churchill, British
prime minister during World War II in LIFE Magazine, Karsh went on
to shoot portraits of the some of the most well known figures of the
20th century, including Albert Einstein, Mother Teresa, and Ernest
Hemmingway.
The upcoming ALMA exhibition "Karsh: Celebrating Humanity" will open
on September 17. All of the featured portraits were donated to ALMA
by Karsh's widow, Estrellita Karsh. The unveiling of this exhibition
coincides with the completion of ALMA's two and a half month-long
renovation, which was an effort to improve the quality of the
facilities in light of such an important acquisition. Though Karsh's
photographs will now play a prominent role in the museum, regular
visitors will still be able to find the Armenian artifacts that they
are used to seeing. "The hope is that by re-facing [the museum] we'll
have people coming in to see the Karsh photographs who will [then]
be able to see a sampling of the Armenian artifacts," says Daniel K.
Dorian, a member of the Board of Trustees. "We're hoping to increase
the foot traffic so that people get an opportunity to see some of
these things."
ALMA's artifacts include a vast collection of Armenian coins, carpets,
ceramics, laces, manuscripts, and religious objects, as well as an
extensive library of titles pertaining to Armenian culture. Since
ALMA's founding in 1971, when it first displayed its artifacts in the
basement of a Belmont church, the collection has grown in both quantity
and quality. Despite its move to a larger space in the early 90s,
ALMA can still only display 3% of the its collection at any given time.
This substantial growth stems partially from private donations
made by survivors of the Armenian Genocide. However, the museum's
collection spans a much greater portion of Armenian history, which
has witnessed repeated episodes of conflict and warfare. "Armenian
history is replete [with] Armenia being the battleground between
eastern and western empires ... and somehow, [the Armenian people]
came up with a multifarious culture that staggers the imagination,"
says Haig Der Manuelian, chairman of ALMA's board of trustees.
Despite the rich history behind its artifacts, ALMA still remains
relatively unknown to the residents in the greater Boston area. "A lot
of people don't know about it," says board member Robert Megerdichian.
"What [ALMA] need[s] is people to get the word out and the hope is
that this exhibit will do that."
http://www.thecrimson.com/article/2011/9/13/alma-karsh-portrait-photography/
From: Baghdasarian
By John P. Aloian, Crimson Staff Writer
Harvard Crimson
Sept 13 2011
MA
As a major American city and historic center of American politics,
history, and art, Boston has always counted important world figures
among its visitors. This fall, however, 25 of the 20th century's most
influential figures plan to make an appearance just beyond the city
limits for the grand reopening of a small Watertown museum.
Perhaps one of Watertown's best-kept secrets, the Armenian Library
and Museum of America (ALMA) is celebrating the unveiling of a
permanent collection of 25 original signed portraits by renowned
Canadian-Armenian photographer Yousuf Karsh. Although Karsh's
photographs spanned a range of genres, it was his portrait photographs
that brought him international fame and recognition. Following the
publication of his now iconic portrait of Winston Churchill, British
prime minister during World War II in LIFE Magazine, Karsh went on
to shoot portraits of the some of the most well known figures of the
20th century, including Albert Einstein, Mother Teresa, and Ernest
Hemmingway.
The upcoming ALMA exhibition "Karsh: Celebrating Humanity" will open
on September 17. All of the featured portraits were donated to ALMA
by Karsh's widow, Estrellita Karsh. The unveiling of this exhibition
coincides with the completion of ALMA's two and a half month-long
renovation, which was an effort to improve the quality of the
facilities in light of such an important acquisition. Though Karsh's
photographs will now play a prominent role in the museum, regular
visitors will still be able to find the Armenian artifacts that they
are used to seeing. "The hope is that by re-facing [the museum] we'll
have people coming in to see the Karsh photographs who will [then]
be able to see a sampling of the Armenian artifacts," says Daniel K.
Dorian, a member of the Board of Trustees. "We're hoping to increase
the foot traffic so that people get an opportunity to see some of
these things."
ALMA's artifacts include a vast collection of Armenian coins, carpets,
ceramics, laces, manuscripts, and religious objects, as well as an
extensive library of titles pertaining to Armenian culture. Since
ALMA's founding in 1971, when it first displayed its artifacts in the
basement of a Belmont church, the collection has grown in both quantity
and quality. Despite its move to a larger space in the early 90s,
ALMA can still only display 3% of the its collection at any given time.
This substantial growth stems partially from private donations
made by survivors of the Armenian Genocide. However, the museum's
collection spans a much greater portion of Armenian history, which
has witnessed repeated episodes of conflict and warfare. "Armenian
history is replete [with] Armenia being the battleground between
eastern and western empires ... and somehow, [the Armenian people]
came up with a multifarious culture that staggers the imagination,"
says Haig Der Manuelian, chairman of ALMA's board of trustees.
Despite the rich history behind its artifacts, ALMA still remains
relatively unknown to the residents in the greater Boston area. "A lot
of people don't know about it," says board member Robert Megerdichian.
"What [ALMA] need[s] is people to get the word out and the hope is
that this exhibit will do that."
http://www.thecrimson.com/article/2011/9/13/alma-karsh-portrait-photography/
From: Baghdasarian