The Mount Athos Center of Thessaloniki, in collaboration with the Department of Art and Archaeology at Princeton University in the USA, the Mount Athos Foundation of America (M.A.F.A.) and the Greek Orthodox Cultural Center and Chapel of St. Photios, present in St. Augustine, Florida, an exhibition of historical photographs and surviving film from the silent film era, from the expedition of three travelers-artists from Princeton to Mount Athos and Meteora in 1929.
The inauguration will take place on Friday, February 6, 2026, the feast day of Saint Photios, at the Greek Orthodox Cultural Center and Chapel of Saint Photios.
The exhibition is part of the Organization’s events for the annual celebration of Saint Photios.
About St. Augustine, Florida – USA
It is the oldest continuously inhabited European city in the United States. It was founded in 1565 by Spanish explorer Pedro Menéndez de Avilés as a Spanish settlement and military outpost, and was named after Saint Augustine because the Spanish arrived in the area on the saint’s feast day. Over the centuries, it changed hands between Spain and Britain, until it finally passed to the United States in 1821.
The city and the wider area of the State of Florida are directly linked to Greek immigration, as the first Greek immigrants – mainly from Mani, Crete, and the Aegean islands—arrived in the area in 1768 and founded New Smyrna. Conditions were very harsh, and many died from hardship and disease. In 1777, the surviving Greeks abandoned the colony and settled in St. Augustine, where they established one of the first Greek communities in America. Their presence is considered significant in the history of Greek immigration to the United States.
View from the Chapel of Saint Photios
St. Photios Greek Orthodox National Shrine
The Greek Orthodox Cultural Center and Chapel of Saint Photios was founded in 1972 in honor of the Greeks of the Nea Smyrni colony. The shrine is housed in a historic 18th-century building and serves as a place of remembrance, historical information, and cultural heritage. It is the only Greek Orthodox shrine in the United States and is an important symbol of the Greek presence in America, attracting more than 200,000 visitors annually.
Statement by the Mayor of Thessaloniki, Stelios Angeloudis
The Mayor of Thessaloniki and Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Mount Athos Center, Stelios Angeloudis, emphasizes that: “One of the primary objectives of the organization is to promote and highlight the unique spiritual and cultural heritage of Mount Athos throughout the entire spectrum of Ecumenical Hellenism. In this context, we are delighted and proud that the exhibition is being transferred to the United States, specifically to St. Augustine. The collaboration of the Mount Athos Center with organizations abroad demonstrates the momentum it has gained in its 25 years of activity and service. I am confident that this exceptional exhibition will become a point of reference for the large Greek community in the area.”
Carl R. Hollister, Director of the Cultural Center, stated: “It is a great honor for us to host this remarkable exhibition by the Mount Athos Center, and we are equally grateful that its Director and curator, Anastasios Douros, will be present at the opening and will explain the history behind the film and photographic material.”
The exhibition was first presented at the Mount Athos Center in 2023 and traveled to Kalambaka that same year. In 2024, it was presented at the Maliotis Cultural Center in Boston (USA) and in Lefkada, while in 2025 it traveled to the cities of Brasov, Iasi, and Sibiu in Romania.
Zografou Monastery. Portrait of a monk. According to McCormick’s records, the monk was an astronomer.
Research and curated by: Αnastasios Ntouros
Duration: 6 February 2026 – 7 March 2027
St. PHOTIOS GREEK ORTHODOX NATIONAL SHRINE
St. Augustine, Florida, USA
41 St. George Street
St. Augustine, FL, 32084
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