Donation helps create look from when senator lived there
Calgary family-owned House of Persian Rugs has donated $85,000 worth of Persian and Oriental rugs to Lougheed House.
Coming from the regions of Tabriz, Naien, Kashmar, and Heriz, the donated rugs are the first gift toward a plan to fully interpret the house's second floor, where Senator Lougheed's private quarters were from 1891 until 1936. Blane Hogue, executive director of Lougheed House, said the donation has added immeasurably to his ability to recreate the look of the house during the Lougheed occupancy.
"We're trying to create the look of the house between 1891 and the late 1930s," said Hogue.
In particular, the appearance during 1925 will be emulated, due to a dearth of reference photos and inventory being from that time.
The Lougheed House approached House of Persian Rugs for the donation because of the store's extensive collection of Persian and Oriental rugs, which covered areas of the second floor during 1925.
"(Abbas Keshmiri) was so cooperative and helpful when we asked for the donation,"said Hogue, referring to the owner of House of Persian Rugs, who was modest about his contribution.
"It's only proper that we give back to the community,"said Keshmiri, whose company has provided Calgarians with rugs since 1968.
Keshmiri helped create the floor plan with the Lougheed House Conservation Society, bringing in dozens of rugs until a final nine were decided upon.
"I looked at the colour of the walls, the lighting, the furnishings, and other things,"said Keshmiri, noting that traditional rugs, rather than transitional or modern, fit best. Having donated to non-profit organizations in the past, this time was much dearer to Keshmiri, and not just because it was his largest one-time donation.
"With a lot of the (past) donations, the rugs were converted to cash through auctions," said Keshmiri. "With this donation, the rugs will become a legacy."
Of the rooms he placed rugs in, Keshmiri was particularly fond of a 10-by 13-foot piece placed in the master bedroom.
"It belonged there," said Keshmiri.
Hogue's next step is to incorporate paintings, wall hangings, furniture and other pieces into the second floor, and Keshmiri said he's interested in donating rugs for other floors.
Arrangements are underway to formally recognize the donation. An opening with a member of the Lougheed family and Keshmiri will take place within the next month.
Other projects include the senator's study, and a children's exhibit to demonstrate how Calgary children lived during the early 1900s.
The house was home to Senator James Alexander Lougheed, Lady Isabella Hardisty Lougheed, their six children and staff.
The Lougheed estate was unable to pay the property taxes on its real estate holdings following the onset of the Depression in 1929. In 1934, the city took legal title to the house, and a public auction in 1938 saw the contents of the house distributed elsewhere.
The sandstone prairie mansion stands on its original 1.1-hectare estate, now on the edge of downtown Calgary.
House of Persian Rugs, founded in 1968 by the late Ali Keshmiri, is the life's work of the Keshmiri family.
With roughly 5,000 traditional, transitional, and contemporary rugs in its collection, the company is self-proclaimed as one of Canada's largest suppliers of authentic Persian and Oriental carpets.
No comments:
Post a Comment