Historic 1919 Boston Gala Photo Preserves Armenian Diaspora Memory
‘We trust that you will understand us and stretch out your brotherly and helping hand’
A photograph from a December 14, 1919 gala honoring Armenian civil and military missions to the United States offers a window into early 20th-century Armenian-American community life. The panoramic banquet photo, taken at Boston's Copley Plaza Hotel and now housed in NAASR's archives, captures dignitaries including Gen. Andranik Ozanian and Armen Garo alongside American supporters of Armenia and immigrant families. The image documents a moment when Armenia had recently declared independence, and many attendees were recent arrivals to America. Notable attendees included singer Zabel Aram, who performed the Armenian patriotic song "Groong," and family members connected to significant Armenian historical figures. The photograph remains a tangible record of the diaspora's early organizational efforts and cultural life in America.
