Jennifer Takouhi Nersesian and Peter Hagop Nersesian collection - New York, USA

This collection belongs to Jennifer Nersesian, whose grandfather, Hagop Nersesian (born in 1900), and grandmother, Takouhi Der Bedrosian, come from the village of Tadem in the Harput plain. At the end of the 19th century, Hagop’s father, Gabriel, and his uncle, Nerses, immigrated to the United States and worked there as emigrants while their families were still in Tadem. In 1915, Gabriel went back to his native village to visit his family, unfortunately the Genocide was underway and Gabriel and many other members of his family were killed. Hagop was a survivor, who continued to live in Turkey until 1921. He later went to Syria and got in touch with his uncle Nerses who lived in the States. The latter sent Gabriel some money and he too immigrated to the United States.

An Armenian family from Tadem. The identities of those in the photo are unknown, they are most probably related to the Nersesian family.

1) Gabriel Nersesian (Hagop’s father) photographed in the States. See the full photograph of Gabriel with his brother Nerses below.

2) The wedding photo of Hagop and Takouhi Nersesian (born Der Bedrosian), 1930

A general view of Tadem - this picture always hung on the wall in Takouhi and Hagop Nersesian’s house in the United States. The picture is Melikian’s work from 1921 and depicts many men from Tadem who were soldiers on different fronts. The costumes in the picture show that there are also fedayi’s from Tadem and fighters who fought on the allied forces side during WWI. The tombstone in the above left corner reads:

“Remember your martyr brothers and ruined homeland”

The following is written in the section below the picture:

“A gift to the Tadem Enlightenment educational society for its 30th anniversary, 1891-1921. The martyred from left to right are [the heads appearing in the clouds]: M. Toumasen, Kh. Der Hagopian, S. Kharibian, A. Mentsoyian. Gathered around the tomb [in the upper left side of the photo] from left to right are: B. Heroian, S. Mardirosian, H. Asadourian, Kh. Heroian, Boghos Heroian, B. Kezirian, A. Haboian, B. Oulodjian, H. Der Hovhannessian, T. Sahagian. The guards [bottom row] starting from the left are: H. Moushoian, H. Shamoian, S. Pilibosian, A. Heroian (hero), B. Martigian, K. Goshgarian, G. Vartanian, H. Nordigian, N. Klounian (defender of the flag), H. Toumasian, S. Hagopian, V. Mikayelian, Kh. Hagopian, M. Kamalian, B. Adourian, B. Toumasian.”

Autobiographical memoir written by Hagop Nersesian. This text is unfinished and we only have two or three pages from this autobiography, which tell us that the author’s family was previously known as “Totoyenk” (Toto’s family), but during his lifetime, they were already called “Nersoyenk” or Nersesian.

Gabriel Nersesian (Hagop’s father) on the left and his brother Nerses, photographed in the United States at the end of the 19th century or the very beginning of the 20th century.