Two Folding Chairs

PeriodCirca 1910 - 1920

Place MadeFreehold, New Jersey, U.S.A.

MediumStained pine, ash; woven wool carpeting

Dimensions35 × 16 × 24 in. (88.9 × 40.6 × 61 cm)

ClassificationsA. & M. Karagheusian Rug Mill Collection

Credit LineGift of Carl Beams, 2022

Object number2022.12.1,2

DescriptionA pair of folding chairs, constructed of dark brown varnished pine and hickory, with steel pivot pins for setup and collapse. Both chairs retain their woven wool and jute carpeting seats, attached to seat rail members in "hammock" style, bound with sturdy cotton/wool webbing tape.
Curatorial RemarksBrothers Arshag and Miran Karagheusian were born in Armenia but fled during the atrocities of theTurkish genocide in 1898, emigrating to London, England. The brothers began a carpet export business and later moved to America. In 1904, the brothers purchased the defunct V. Henry Rothschild Shirt Factory on Jackson Street in Freehold, Monmouth County, converting the plant into a carpet weaving factory. The Karagheusians employed numerous weavers from many of the great carpet manufacturing cities in England and Scotland. In 1928, A. & M. Karagheusian introduced their "Gulistan" carpet line, which successfully imitated the sheen and quality of expensive hand-woven carpeting from their native Middle East through the use of chemical bath treatments. The firm's main offices were located in Midtown Manhattan. The firm also maintained a plant in Roselle, New Jersey, where much of the wool yarn was spun and dyed. The firm also had plants in China where much of the necessary jute fibers were gathered and processed. By the early 1930s, A. & M. Karagheusian was the second largest privately held carpet company in the world. In 1932, the firm was awarded the contract to provide carpeting for the new Radio City Music Hall, and in 1935 received the commission to carpet the new Supreme Court building in Washington, D.C. Fred Astaire chose Karagheusian carpeting for his office, while Hollywood actress Jean Harlow sent the firm a lock of her signature platinum blonde hair to create a custom carpet color for her home. At its peak, the firm employed over 1,700 men and women. During 1940-1941, Bruce Springsteen's father, Douglas, worked at A. & M. Karagheusian as a creel boy, a specialized assistant to the weavers who operated the powerful looms. During World War II, the Freehold factory was converted to war production, weaving thousands of yards of a heavy water-resistant canvas cloth called "duck," used for tank covers, knapsacks, and tenting. After the war, the introduction of new weaving technology combined with continued labor issues caused the firm to gradually move its production South. The Freehold factory closed its doors in 1961.Mill workers were often allowed to purchase extra carpet samples from the mill, and many were used as area rugs, runners, or mats for many years. The Freehold factory did not sell directly to the public. Locally, McKelvey's store on Main Street in downtown Freehold sold A. & M. Karagheusian carpets and area rugs to the public.NotesAccording to donor Carl Beams, these chairs came from the A. & M. Karagheusian Rug Mill on Jackson Street in Freehold, Monmouth County, New Jersey. In particular, the carpeting seats were woven at the mill itself. The carpet pattern, chair design and construction date from the very early years of the mill, probably between 1910 and 1920.

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