Orphanage Children in Alexandropol, 1920

In 1920 the world's largest orphanage operated in Alexandropol (Gyumri), sheltering more than 20,000 Armenian children. Their parents had perished during the Genocide carried out in Western Armenia. Some of the children had been freed from Turkish captivity for one gold coin paid for each child; others had reached Armenia after surviving the death marches. The orphanage was established with the support of the US authorities and of American and international humanitarian organisations.

In the photograph, hundreds of children dressed in white are lined up in an open square so as to form the English words “America, we thank you”. On the roof of the building behind, the name of the Near East Relief organisation is written in English.