Arthur T. Gregorian

Arthur T. Gregorian,(1909 – January 14, 2003), was aGreater Bostonoriental rugdealer and author of books on oriental rugs. He is considered by some to be the world's leading collector of rare, inscribedArmenianrugs.

Arthur T. Gregorian purchasing rugs in Kabul, Afghanistan - 16mm frame

Early life

Gregorian did not know his birthdate.However, he marked it as November 15, 1909. He was born inRahvah,on the western shore ofLake Urmia,West Azerbaijan Province,Iran,ofArmenianparents, and died on January 14, 2003, inConcord, Massachusetts.

In 1919, Gregorian and his family fled theArmenian genocidebyoxcarton a thousand-mile journey with hundreds of thousands ofArmenianrefugeesfrom his ancientArmenianhomeland nearLake Urmia,over theZagros Mountainsin southwesternIran,down toBasra,Iraq.There, they stayed at aBritishrefugeecamp. Gregorian almost died ofcholeraand worked as a sidekick to ahakimor herbal doctor to earn food for his family. After traveling bysteeragetoIndia,ItalyandFrance,he finally reachedBostonand settled inNew Britain, Connecticut.In high school, Arthur met Phebe Ballou, his future wife. He spent his final year of high school at theNorthfield Mount Hermon School,where in later life he became the director of the board of alumni. After high school he worked in a rug shop to get money to go to night school atBoston University,so he could become a doctor.

Wellesley

In 1934, Gregorian took his savings of $700.00 and moved toWellesley, Massachusetts,partly to open his ownoriental rugstore there and partly to see Phebe who was attendingWellesley College.The store was tiny and below street level, so he visited his potential buyers in their homes or businesses. He and Phebe were married in 1936. The business flourished and in 1940, Arthur was able to move east across theCharles Riverto larger quarters on Washington Street inNewton Lower Falls.

Newton Lower Falls

In his new store inNewton Lower Falls, Massachusetts(42°19′34.75″N71°15′17.10″W), Gregorian finally had the space for his customers to come to him to see his rugs. Business continued to be good untilWorld War IIdisrupted his importation of rugs as well as reduced the demand for luxury goods. After the war was over, however, the economy of Greater Boston boomed and Arthur's business boomed along with it. He had a store in Newton Lower Falls and another inChatham, Massachusetts.In 1948 he bought the oldCrane Paper Companypaper mill next door and expanded his showrooms into it. In 1965 and again in 1989, additions were made to the two buildings, which resulted in 40,000 square feet (4,000 m²) of space divided into 10 galleries and over 6,000 rugs on display.

Personal life

In 1936, Arthur T. Gregorian married Phebe Ballou (April 14, 1912 – November 19, 1999). They had three children, Lynda, John and Joyce (1946–1991). Phebe was regional president of theGirl Scoutsand founding Director of the United Nation's Asian Women's Institute.

St. Petersburg, Florida, interlude

Arthur and Phebe Gregorian retired toSt. Petersburg, Floridain the mid-1970s, but around 1979, Arthur grew tired of retirement and opened an oriental rug store in downtown St. Pete and later exhibited rugs from his collection at local art museums. The Gregorians returned to Massachusetts in 1999. He was a founding member of The Academy of Senior Professionals at Eckerd College.

Impact on the study of oriental rugs

Perhaps Greogrian's most important legacy has been in his study, writing,filmmaking,collecting and lectures on oriental rugs. Fluent inArmenian,TurkishandPersian,he spent months at a time in thebazaarsofAfghanistan,Armenia and Iran buying rugs and filming hisbargainingand travels with a16 mmBell and Howellmovie camera.

In the study and erudition of oriental rugs, he will be best remembered for his books,Oriental Rugs and the Stories They Tell,andArmenian Rugs of the Gregorian Collection,done in collaboration with his daughter,Joyce Ballou Gregorian Hampshireand his grandson, Douglas Christian.InOriental Rugs and the Stories They Tell,he divided rugs into three major categories:tribal,village,and city rugs. He observed that it is often difficult for a novice to distinguish between aSarouk,Isfahanor aTabriz,but it is not difficult for the novice to distinguish between the innate characteristics of a village wovenBidjarand an intricate and highly stylized city wovenQum.Oriental Rugs and the Stories They Tellwas a breakthrough in the study of rugs, because it made the study of rugs clear and accessible.

His book on Armenian oriental rugs came out of realization that many rugs labeled as Turkish or Kazakh or something else were in factArmenianin origin. He was extremely proud of hisArmenian heritageand spent the last decades of his life collecting and documenting the particular aspects of Armenian oriental rug weaving. His collection of Armenian oriental rugs was shown throughout the world and the majority of it was donated to theArmenian Library and Museum of America,of which he was a founding member and director. He was also president of the Armenian Rugs Society.

He also wrote a book with his wife, Phebe, entitledArmenag's Story,about his own travels by ox-cart from his Armenian home to a British refugee camp inBasrain present-dayIraq.

External links

• Arthur T. Gregorian, Inc. website
• Armenian Rugs Society website
• Armenian Library and Museum of America website