A Virtual Exhibition of Ottoman Era Anatolian Armenian Vernacular Photography, 1880s -1920s

FAIN: FEL-282987-22

Armen Tsolag Marsoobian
Southern Connecticut State University (New Haven, CT 06515-1330)

Research and writing leading to a digital exhibition of Ottoman era Anatolian Armenian vernacular photography, 1880s – 1920s, and an accompanying catalog. 

Armenian photography studios were prominent throughout the Ottoman Empire. While much photographic output was lost in the 1915 genocide, some has survived. Because of this loss, the traces that remain have taken on greater importance due to the physical erasure of Armenian cultural heritage from Anatolia. These surviving photographs tell the story of the peoples and the cultures lost during the early decades of the 20th century. Photographs provide a window into this lost Armenian world. Recreating this world and understanding the important role that vernacular photography played for Armenians before, during, and after the 1915 events is a central goal of this interactive virtual exhibition and the accompanying multimedia e-book catalog. Visitors to the exhibition will explore the content, context, and afterlife of the photographic image.

Associated Products

The Presence of Absence: Ottoman Armenians, Vernacular Photography, and Migration (Conference Paper/Presentation)
Title: The Presence of Absence: Ottoman Armenians, Vernacular Photography, and Migration
Author: Armen T. Marsoobian
Abstract: Photography played an important role in the lives of Ottoman Armenians soon after its introduction into the Empire. Armenians were early adopters of the photographic arts and came to dominate the profession. The social and cultural function of what we today call “vernacular photography” will be the focus of this illustrated lecture.
Date: 11-21-2023
Conference Name: https://www.momus.gr/news/thessaloniki-photobiennale-2023-i-tehni-tis-fotografias-pantoy

The Power of Personal Archives in Witnessing, Teaching, and Visual Storytelling: The Armenian Memory Project (Article)
Title: The Power of Personal Archives in Witnessing, Teaching, and Visual Storytelling: The Armenian Memory Project
Author: Armen T. Marsoobian
Author: Catherine Masud
Abstract: The Armenian Memory Project (AMP) is a collaborative effort designed to harness the energy and resources of the University of Connecticut and the New England Armenian community for the goal of fostering greater understanding of the region’s Armenian cultural heritage and the impact human rights crimes had on the Armenian community. In 2019, students and faculty from the university worked with Armenian American institutions and individuals on an initial component of the AMP, employing digital media technology to tell the story of one immigrant Armenian family, the Dildilians. A unique course was created to produce a documentary film centring around this family’s experiences in Ottoman Turkey before, during, and after the Armenian Genocide. Designed and taught by a documentary filmmaker with support from a family archivist/historian, the course brought students together in a collaborative learning experience. By immersing themselves in the family’s extensive photograph archive, these students came to understand the important role that the past continues to play in the lives of present-day Armenians. Furthermore, by taking on the responsibility as storytellers of the Dildilian narrative, students developed a deeper identification with this distant history and, in a wider sense, an appreciation for the ethical value of memory in bearing witness to the past. This collaborative and participatory framework for teaching using archival collections can serve as a model for creating a transformative learning experience in the study of human rights, war, and genocide.
Year: 2023
Secondary URL: https://academic.oup.com/jhrp/search-results?page=1&q=marsoobian&fl_SiteID=5198&SearchSourceType=1&allJournals=1
Access Model: subscription only in certain regions
Format: Journal
Publisher: Journal of Human Rights Practice

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