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AUTHOR DERANIAN DISCUSSES EVOLUTION OF ORPHAN RUG STORY
COMMUNITY, HISTORY, NEWS | NOVEMBER 24, 2013 8:52 PM
By Gabriella Gage
Mirror-Spectator Staff
WORCESTER - The Armenian Cultural Foundation's recent publication,
President Calvin Coolidge and the Armenian Orphan Rug, sheds light on
a little-known piece of American history. It also currently stands
at the center of a political debate surrounding the White House's
refusal to release the rug featured in the book for an exhibit and
book launch at the Smithsonian. However, for the book's author,
Dr. Hagop Martin Deranian, the work represents another chapter in
a son's lifelong journey to honor the memory of his mother and her
battle to survive the Armenian Genocide.
At age 91, Deranian has seen much of the world and has accomplished
much, too. He is a renowned dentist and has served on the faculty of
Tufts University School of Dentistry. Deranian has written multiple
books on Armenian subjects, including Worcester Is America, the Story
of Worcester's Armenians and Miracle Man on the Western Front: Dr.
Varaztad H. Kazanjian, Pioneer Plastic Surgeon.
In 1929, his mother, Varter Bogigian Deranian, 44, died while visiting
relatives in Providence. "I was 6-years-old when she died. I have
spent the rest of my life in an attempt to accurately trace her story,"
he said.
The younger Deranian was born in 1922 and grew up in Worcester. He
attended Clark University in 1941, a few weeks before Pearl Harbor
and served in the US Navy. He recalled taking an interest in Armenian
history early on. "I wrote my first term paper on the Armenians. I
didn't get a good grade on it," he chuckled, "but it tempted my
imagination from there."
Unimaginable Loss
Varter Bogigian Deranian was born in 1885 in the village of Husenik.
Her father, Bedros Bogigian, had worked for five years in the mills of
Worcester, the city Deranian would one day call home. Her uncle, Hagop
Bogigian, a subject of Deranian's continued research, emigrated to the
US, becoming a successful businessman and later benefactor of women's
education, thus further helping establish ties with Massachusetts.
Martin Deranian has painstakingly rewoven the memories of his mother's
life from family stories, historical research and physical artifacts,
such as his mother's simple gold wedding band engraved with the date
of her marriage as a young woman to Mugrditch Nazarian, representing
her life prior to the Genocide.
When she began her married life as Varter Nazarian, she had the promise
of a young family and a bright future. However, beginning in 1915,
all that changed when Mugrditch Nazarian was dragged from his home
one day, never to be seen by his young wife again. From there, the
all-too-familiar story of Varter Nazarian's Genocide survival began
as she faced the deportation march with her children.
Joyce Van Dyke's acclaimed play, "Deported: A Dream Play," documents
the journey of Varter Nazarian and her close friend, Elmas Boyajian,
Van Dyke's grandmother. During the arduous march, the two friends
faced unimaginable pain, losing a total of nine children.
Varter Nazarian reached Urfa, having lost six children. While there,
Swiss missionary Jakob Kunzler, one of the central figures in the
Armenian Orphan Rug, known as the "Father of Armenian Orphans,"
assisted her to reach Aleppo and to safety. Along with his wife,
Kunzler helped to shelter more than 1,400 orphan girls at the Ghazir
orphanage administered by Near East Relief. In response to desperate
need in 1915, Near East Relief, a newly established US humanitarian
organization, dedicated its resources to saving more than 1 million
refugees, raising funds and organizing a group of American medical
personnel, civil servants and various other volunteers to aid those
in need. The book notes the importance of this connection: "It is
this link with Kunzler, never forgotten, that drove [Martin Deranian]
to write about this story of the Near East Relief, the Ghazir Armenian
orphan weavers and President Coolidge."
"That story has captured my interest and I've devoted myself to
whatever I can to tell that story," Deranian said.
Orphan Rug
Martin Deranian first heard the story of the Armenian Orphan Rug from
Alice Jernazian Haig, the daughter of Rev. Ephraim and Marie Jernazian,
who had forged a strong bond with his mother during the Genocide.
Alice Haig began her journey to find the rug in 1973. She located it
at the home of Calvin Coolidge's son, John Coolidge, in Connecticut.
She urged Deranian to continue the research she had begun and he,
indeed, spent decades doing just that.
"The relief effort in the wake of the Genocide intrigued me and
captivated my spirit. Coolidge has often been viewed as an austere
figure, and yet, I learned he was actually quite a sentimental,
warm man," explained Deranian.
Coolidge personally received some of the weavers at the White House
and hosted them, Deranian added.
During the Armenian Rugs Symposium of 1982 in New York, Deranian first
shared the story with the public when he delivered a paper titled
"Calvin Coolidge and the Armenian Orphan Rug." That paper was later
printed in the Congressional Record during the 1984 proceedings of the
US Senate. Later that same year, the rug was temporarily unearthed
from storage for a viewing at the White House with Sen. Carl Levin,
former US Ambassador to the United Nations Set C. Momjian and Deranian
himself. Deranian recalled his own experience touching the rug
"It was like touching heritage," Deranian recalled.
The orphans wove more than 3,000 rugs. Two of the orphans set up
their own business in Philadelphia years later. After much searching,
Deranian purchased one of these rugs as his own piece of this little
known chapter of history.
In 1995, the White House hosted another viewing of the rug, this time
for Vartoohi (Hovsepian) Gulezian, one of the orphan weavers and one
of the two girls brought to America.
Deranian continued his work and with the help of the Armenian Cultural
Foundation and guidance of its curator, Ara Ghazarians, the book
became a reality. "They helped me refine and bring it to fruition,"
said Deranian. "They played such an important role."
The release of the Armenian Orphan Rug prompted several cultural
events, the culmination of which was scheduled for December 16,
an event at the Smithsonian which they hoped would include the rug
itself. In early September, the Smithsonian announced that the White
House had declined to lend the rug out, thus prompting the cancellation
of the event. Many have voiced their disappointment with decision to
withhold the rug and by default, continue the denial of the Armenian
Genocide.
Along with US Ambassador to Armenia John Heffern, several congressmen
reached out to the White House asking for a reversal of its position.
The common theory among various segments of the Armenian community,
and alluded to in a recent Washington Post article and NPR report,
is that the White House's denial represents a cautious approach in
order not to offend ally Turkey. The rug's creation clearly references
the provenance of the weavers and their status as orphans due to to
the Genocide, a reference the Obama administration has steered clear
of since his election.
For Deranian, this development has been met with disappointment. "I
think it is a very unfortunate stance. I see this as a story of
America's compassion. This [stance] hides that story of America's
heroic Near East Relief efforts," said Deranian.
It's not just about remembering tragedy, but for Deranian, the story of
the rug represents hope. "Approaching the centennial [of the Genocide],
I wanted to show this nation's goodwill and the altruistic response
of America - an extreme humanitarian act. Many people died serving
in attempts to save these children."
- See more at:
http://www.mirrorspectator.com/2013/11/24/author-deranian-discusses-evolution-of-orphan-rug-story/#sthash.M4P7rpt4.dpuf
COMMUNITY, HISTORY, NEWS | NOVEMBER 24, 2013 8:52 PM
By Gabriella Gage
Mirror-Spectator Staff
WORCESTER - The Armenian Cultural Foundation's recent publication,
President Calvin Coolidge and the Armenian Orphan Rug, sheds light on
a little-known piece of American history. It also currently stands
at the center of a political debate surrounding the White House's
refusal to release the rug featured in the book for an exhibit and
book launch at the Smithsonian. However, for the book's author,
Dr. Hagop Martin Deranian, the work represents another chapter in
a son's lifelong journey to honor the memory of his mother and her
battle to survive the Armenian Genocide.
At age 91, Deranian has seen much of the world and has accomplished
much, too. He is a renowned dentist and has served on the faculty of
Tufts University School of Dentistry. Deranian has written multiple
books on Armenian subjects, including Worcester Is America, the Story
of Worcester's Armenians and Miracle Man on the Western Front: Dr.
Varaztad H. Kazanjian, Pioneer Plastic Surgeon.
In 1929, his mother, Varter Bogigian Deranian, 44, died while visiting
relatives in Providence. "I was 6-years-old when she died. I have
spent the rest of my life in an attempt to accurately trace her story,"
he said.
The younger Deranian was born in 1922 and grew up in Worcester. He
attended Clark University in 1941, a few weeks before Pearl Harbor
and served in the US Navy. He recalled taking an interest in Armenian
history early on. "I wrote my first term paper on the Armenians. I
didn't get a good grade on it," he chuckled, "but it tempted my
imagination from there."
Unimaginable Loss
Varter Bogigian Deranian was born in 1885 in the village of Husenik.
Her father, Bedros Bogigian, had worked for five years in the mills of
Worcester, the city Deranian would one day call home. Her uncle, Hagop
Bogigian, a subject of Deranian's continued research, emigrated to the
US, becoming a successful businessman and later benefactor of women's
education, thus further helping establish ties with Massachusetts.
Martin Deranian has painstakingly rewoven the memories of his mother's
life from family stories, historical research and physical artifacts,
such as his mother's simple gold wedding band engraved with the date
of her marriage as a young woman to Mugrditch Nazarian, representing
her life prior to the Genocide.
When she began her married life as Varter Nazarian, she had the promise
of a young family and a bright future. However, beginning in 1915,
all that changed when Mugrditch Nazarian was dragged from his home
one day, never to be seen by his young wife again. From there, the
all-too-familiar story of Varter Nazarian's Genocide survival began
as she faced the deportation march with her children.
Joyce Van Dyke's acclaimed play, "Deported: A Dream Play," documents
the journey of Varter Nazarian and her close friend, Elmas Boyajian,
Van Dyke's grandmother. During the arduous march, the two friends
faced unimaginable pain, losing a total of nine children.
Varter Nazarian reached Urfa, having lost six children. While there,
Swiss missionary Jakob Kunzler, one of the central figures in the
Armenian Orphan Rug, known as the "Father of Armenian Orphans,"
assisted her to reach Aleppo and to safety. Along with his wife,
Kunzler helped to shelter more than 1,400 orphan girls at the Ghazir
orphanage administered by Near East Relief. In response to desperate
need in 1915, Near East Relief, a newly established US humanitarian
organization, dedicated its resources to saving more than 1 million
refugees, raising funds and organizing a group of American medical
personnel, civil servants and various other volunteers to aid those
in need. The book notes the importance of this connection: "It is
this link with Kunzler, never forgotten, that drove [Martin Deranian]
to write about this story of the Near East Relief, the Ghazir Armenian
orphan weavers and President Coolidge."
"That story has captured my interest and I've devoted myself to
whatever I can to tell that story," Deranian said.
Orphan Rug
Martin Deranian first heard the story of the Armenian Orphan Rug from
Alice Jernazian Haig, the daughter of Rev. Ephraim and Marie Jernazian,
who had forged a strong bond with his mother during the Genocide.
Alice Haig began her journey to find the rug in 1973. She located it
at the home of Calvin Coolidge's son, John Coolidge, in Connecticut.
She urged Deranian to continue the research she had begun and he,
indeed, spent decades doing just that.
"The relief effort in the wake of the Genocide intrigued me and
captivated my spirit. Coolidge has often been viewed as an austere
figure, and yet, I learned he was actually quite a sentimental,
warm man," explained Deranian.
Coolidge personally received some of the weavers at the White House
and hosted them, Deranian added.
During the Armenian Rugs Symposium of 1982 in New York, Deranian first
shared the story with the public when he delivered a paper titled
"Calvin Coolidge and the Armenian Orphan Rug." That paper was later
printed in the Congressional Record during the 1984 proceedings of the
US Senate. Later that same year, the rug was temporarily unearthed
from storage for a viewing at the White House with Sen. Carl Levin,
former US Ambassador to the United Nations Set C. Momjian and Deranian
himself. Deranian recalled his own experience touching the rug
"It was like touching heritage," Deranian recalled.
The orphans wove more than 3,000 rugs. Two of the orphans set up
their own business in Philadelphia years later. After much searching,
Deranian purchased one of these rugs as his own piece of this little
known chapter of history.
In 1995, the White House hosted another viewing of the rug, this time
for Vartoohi (Hovsepian) Gulezian, one of the orphan weavers and one
of the two girls brought to America.
Deranian continued his work and with the help of the Armenian Cultural
Foundation and guidance of its curator, Ara Ghazarians, the book
became a reality. "They helped me refine and bring it to fruition,"
said Deranian. "They played such an important role."
The release of the Armenian Orphan Rug prompted several cultural
events, the culmination of which was scheduled for December 16,
an event at the Smithsonian which they hoped would include the rug
itself. In early September, the Smithsonian announced that the White
House had declined to lend the rug out, thus prompting the cancellation
of the event. Many have voiced their disappointment with decision to
withhold the rug and by default, continue the denial of the Armenian
Genocide.
Along with US Ambassador to Armenia John Heffern, several congressmen
reached out to the White House asking for a reversal of its position.
The common theory among various segments of the Armenian community,
and alluded to in a recent Washington Post article and NPR report,
is that the White House's denial represents a cautious approach in
order not to offend ally Turkey. The rug's creation clearly references
the provenance of the weavers and their status as orphans due to to
the Genocide, a reference the Obama administration has steered clear
of since his election.
For Deranian, this development has been met with disappointment. "I
think it is a very unfortunate stance. I see this as a story of
America's compassion. This [stance] hides that story of America's
heroic Near East Relief efforts," said Deranian.
It's not just about remembering tragedy, but for Deranian, the story of
the rug represents hope. "Approaching the centennial [of the Genocide],
I wanted to show this nation's goodwill and the altruistic response
of America - an extreme humanitarian act. Many people died serving
in attempts to save these children."
- See more at:
http://www.mirrorspectator.com/2013/11/24/author-deranian-discusses-evolution-of-orphan-rug-story/#sthash.M4P7rpt4.dpuf