Historical Portrait
Mesrout Takakjian, portrait, photograph
Archive record
Forms part of a group of field materials documenting Aslanian's Armenian orchestra performing Armenian and Armeno-Turkish songs on April 23, 1939, collected by Sidney Robertson Cowell in Fresno, California.
About this photograph
This portrait was made during a W.P.A. California Folk Music Project recording session with Aslanian's Armenian orchestra in Fresno on April 23, 1939. Sidney Robertson Cowell, who directed the project, documented Mesrout Takakjian as part of the ensemble performing Armenian and Armeno-Turkish songs that day.
The project recorded and photographed traditional musicians across Northern California between 1938 and 1940, working deliberately across immigrant communities rather than focusing on a single tradition. The collection's portraits reflect this approach, featuring Armenian, Icelandic, Italian, Portuguese, Mexican, Irish, and Serbian names alongside one another.
The materials from this session are held by the American Folklife Center at the Library of Congress.
Compiled from the catalogue record and reference notes on the formats and events involved. The archive record above is the primary source.
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