About ALMA
Historical Background
ALMA's Mission

Where Armenian Culture Comes Alive

ALMA houses the most extensive collection of Armenian artifacts in North America, with over 20,000 items, 20,000 books, 5,000 coins, 3,000 textiles, 930 rare books, 800 oral histories and 170 Armenian oriental rugs. The building includes Bedoukian Hall, the main exhibit gallery, as well as several smaller side galleries, the research library, a contemporary art gallery, studio space, offices, meeting rooms, and climate-controlled vaults for the storage of rare and delicate pieces.

Over the centuries, the people of Armenia have faced countless challenges. And while some have been more dramatic, none has been more critical than the challenge faced right now by the one million people of Armenian descent who live in the United States. This challenge involves preserving our past, not only for ourselves, but also for generations to come. For without a deep understanding of where we have come from, we can never truly understand why we are here or where we are going.

Out of this respect for the past, the Armenian Library and Museum of America was born. But ALMA is more than just a storehouse of ancient artifacts. It's a living museum where our children can come to discover their roots and where people of all ethnic backgrounds can see how the story of the Armenian people plays a vital part within the rich cultural symphony that is America.

Historical Background

The Armenians. A Proud People. A Proud Heritage.

With a history that dates back over 2,500 years, the Armenians have had to struggle constantly in order to maintain their traditions, their land and their identity.

In 301 AD, Armenia became the first nation in the world to adopt Christianity as its official religion. And later, for centuries Armenia was a Christian nation in an area dominated by Islam. Throughout this period, Armenians were frequently persecuted and attacked by their neighbors. After the last Armenian kingdom fell in 1375, the Armenian people were ruled by a series of outside forces, including the Ottoman, Persian and Russian Empires. Except for a brief period of independence, which lasted from 1918 to 1920, this subjugation continued for over 600 years until Armenia finally declared its independence from the former Soviet Union in 1991.

The darkest episode in all of Armenian history began in 1915, when the Ottoman Empire initiated a policy of genocide that continued until 1922. In this holocaust, more than a million Armenians lost their lives. And the survivors were scattered all over the world.

Today, over half of the world's Armenian population lives outside of Armenia, and the largest and most influential group is here in the United States. Many Armenian books and artifacts brought to this country by immigrants and survivors were being discarded and forever lost with each passing death or relocation. To arrest and reverse this process a group of Boston-area Armenians founded the Armenian Library and Museum of America.

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History of ALMA

It all began in a church parish house in Belmont, Massachusetts. That's where, in 1971, a group of Armenian educators, professionals and business leaders began collecting Armenian books and artifacts. The collection grew steadily, and in 1985 ALMA opened its doors to the public for the first time. The ground floor of The First Armenian Church of Belmont, Massachusetts became ALMA's new home, and it existed there for several years, independently from the church.

Soon, the need for a larger, more permanent home became apparent. In September of 1988, ALMA purchased and remodeled a modern, four-story brick and glass building in the heart of Watertown, Massachusetts, the center of America's first, and still one of America's largest Armenian communities.

Our Mission

As it continues to grow, ALMA's goals and objectives remain the same:

* To maintain an active program of collecting, conserving and documenting Armenian artifacts, books, textiles, archives and works of art.

* To preserve for posterity the Armenian heritage, both past and present, and to tell the story of the Armenian people.

* To promote an awareness and appreciation of the culture and contributions of the Armenian people, through exhibits and diverse educational programs.

* To serve as a national repository and information center about the Armenian people, their history and culture.

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