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Boys with a hut at Polygon Orphanage

Boys pose with a hut that they built themselves in the garden at Polygon Orphanage, which was part of the orphanage complex at Alexandropol. Polygon doubled as an agricultural school.

Women with spinning wheel

A group of women gathered around a spinning wheel. Two of the women are knitting. The ability to spin and knit helped women to be more self-sufficient.

Boys in the garden at Alexandropol

Boys in the garden at the Polygon Orphanage, Alexandropol. One boy is playing a flute. Polygon functioned as a boys’ orphanage and an agricultural school. Surplus produce was sold in the local market to support the orphanage.

Women with market baskets

Three women with large baskets. The women wear aprons and traditional Russian-style head scarves.

Metalworker in outdoor market stall

Man in apron and traditional black wool hat in an outdoor market stall. The man appears to be a tinker, or a tinsmith, who makes his living fixing various household items.

Small boat on water

A standing person pilots a shallow boat (probably a skiff) on a river. Boats like this are more likely to be used for leisure than long journeys.

Bearded man with trunk

Bearded man in cap and glasses. The man wears and apron and stnds next to a large open trunk. A disassembled bedstead is nearby. The man is probably selling furniture.

Woman with pretzels

Woman selling pretzels or some other type of twisted bread in an outdoor marketplace

Woman in a black headscarf

Woman in a black shawl and head scarf. This woman appears in another photograph holding a boy in an embroidered cap. Given the quality of her clothing and the fact that she is wearing earrings, she is probably not be a refugee.

Man in a tall black fur hat

Man in a tall black fur hat and a military-style coat on a ship deck. The underside of a life boat is visible at right. The man may be a member of the ship’s crew.

Boy in ragged striped shirt

Informal portrait of a young boy wearing ragged clothes, including a torn striped shirt. Based on his light-colored hair, this boy may be a Russian refugee.

Man wearing black fur hat

Man in a tall black fur hat looking away from the camera. The person next to him is wearing goggles

Eastern Orthodox priest by church door

An Eastern Orthodox priest in clerical garb standing in front of a church door. The headpiece indicates that the priest is Russian rather than Armenian.

Children walking past a building with a Greek motif

Large group of children walking past a white building with a Greek motif along the top. One of the boys carries a flag. The children are not dressed in matching uniforms. It is possible that they are students rather than orphans.

Girls on street with flags

Girls with flags walking standing in front of a building with an ornately decorated canopy. The girls appear to be part of a parade. It is unclear if they are orphans, because they are not wearing matching uniforms.

Closeup of a boy in a black cap

Closeup of a boy in a black cap. The boy appears to have hyperpigmentation of the face, resulting in lighter and darker patches of skin.

Well-dressed woman on a ship deck

Unidentified well-dressed woman on a ship’s deck. Based on her clothing, the woman is probably a relief worker or the wife of a Near East Relief worker. This negative is part of a series that includes views of refugees on a ship deck. Those photos were probably taken from this upper deck, looking down at the crowd.

Refugees on a ship deck

Refugees on a crowded ship deck. The refugees travel with large wicker bags and bedrolls. Based on their appearance and clothing, these may be Russian refugees crossing the Black Sea.

Refugee woman with children under blanket

Refugee woman with three children tucked under a blanket. The woman’s dress is quite modern in comparison to those seen in photos of refugee women. These might be Russian refugees sailing across the Black Sea. This photo is probably a closeup of a larger group of refugees on a ship deck.

Woman selling grapes in a marketplace

Woman in headscarf selling grapes in an outdoor marketplace. This is part of a series of photos taken in the same market. This photo was probably taken in Tiflis (now Tbilisi), which has a large river running through its center.

Women doing laundry in a river

Women washing laundry in a river. This photo may have been taken in Tiflis (now Tbilisi), which has a large river running through its center.

Two well-dressed young women

Two well-dressed young women on a ship deck. One wears a head scarf. Based on the similarity of their facial features, the women could be sisters.

Woman with small boy in an embroidered cap

Woman with head scarf with small boy in her lap. The boy wears a traditional embroidered cap common in the Caucasus. Both are well-dressed in warm coats. Based on the background, this photo may have been taken on a ship.

People with small boats

People with small boats. This photo may have been taken in Tiflis (now Tbilisi), which has a large river running through it.

Three children with a basket

Boy and two girls with a market basket. These children are well-dressed and their clothing has some decorative elements, such as printed fabric and simple ruffles. They are probably not orphans, but rather, children of a local family or well-off refugees.

Refugees on a ship deck

Refugees on a ship deck. Refugees traveled with all of their belongings in bundles and baskets. The families appear to have similar wicker trunks and bags.

Refugee families on a ship deck

Refugee families on a ship deck. Based on the style of dress (especially the men’s black fur hats), these are Russian refugees.

People with small boats

People with small boats. This photo may have been taken in Tiflis (now Tbilisi), which has a large river running through it.

Camel pulling a cart

Camel pulling a cart. Camels were used as pack animals throughout Asia Minor, including Georgia, although this variety is not native to the Caucasus.

Children walking past a large church

Children walking past a large Orthodox church in a town square. Based on the fact that the children are carrying flags, this might be a celebratory parade of some kind.

Sara Corning visiting the Zappeion Orphanage, Athens

High-profile visitors frequently toured the Zappeion to meet the boys and learn about Near East Relief’s work. The woman is Sara(h) Corning, a nurse and member of Near East Relief’s Leviathan party. King George of Greece presented Sara with the Silver Cross Medal of St. Xavier in Athens in June 1923; this photo may be from the ceremony. The award commemorated Corning’s heroism and humanitarianism as a medical professional during the Smyrna Disaster.

Sara Corning with orphan boys at the Zappeion, Athens

The boys at Zappeion Orphanage in Athens frequently entertained high-profile visitors. The Zappeion was a converted exhibition hall donated to Near East Relief by the Greek government. The woman in the white coat and grey hat is Sara(h) Corning, a nurse and member of Near East Relief’s Leviathan party. King George of Greece presented Sara with the Silver Cross Medal of St. Xavier in Athens in June 1923; this photo may be from the ceremony. The award commemorated Corning’s heroism and humanitarianism as a medical professional during the Smyrna Disaster.