Inauguration of the "Lodgia" Company at the Mar Elias Orphanage

Society News

The Beginning of an Artistic-Industrial Renaissance in Lebanon

On the morning of Thursday, the twentieth of February, the inauguration was celebrated of the "tapisserie Aubusson" factory at the Mar Elias Btina school and orphanage, established by the "Lodgia" company. The celebration was held under the patronage of the First Lady, Zalfa Chamoun, with Minister Malik and Minister Kozma, the deputies, the directors of state, men of the press, and a great number of society ladies. Mrs. Aida Labaki, one of the founders of the company, welcomed the First Lady of Lebanon and noted her encouragement toward the realization of this national project. Then the First Lady proceeded, accompanied by the president of the society, Mrs. Hortense Tamer, and the ladies of the society, to the factory hall, and inaugurated the work with her own hand. Mrs. Monique Caron, wife of the factory director, presented her with a marvelous Aubusson sash, made by the little girls. Below is the speech delivered by Mrs. Aida Labaki at the inauguration ceremony; we are careful to publish it because it tells, simply and sincerely, the story of the "Lodgia" company — this great national artistic project:

My Lady, First Lady of Lebanon,
Ladies and gentlemen,

In the name of the board of this orphanage and in the name of the founders of the Lodgia company, I welcome you and I thank you, for you were so gracious as to accept to open this workshop of ours.
I thank you because you were the first to encourage the realization of this project, and because your wise, precise, understanding views spurred us on, and brought us, in less than a month, from the stage of design to the stage of realization. You said, the day I spoke to you of our project, that it pleased you, and that you have great confidence in the Lebanese working hand and in our girls' ability to work with their intelligence.

You told me that Lebanon's sky and sun and colors incite to artistic creation.

You told me that the Lebanese girl is capable of learning all the arts, and that she can weave like the best workwomen of Europe — and in a shorter time.

And here is Mr. Haroun Roger Caron testifying today that his little workers attained in a single day the mastery of what his pupils over there learned in several days.

The introduction of the tapisserie industry into Lebanon is an important event. This is the first weaving school of its kind to open — with looms like these looms of ours, and with instructors like our instructors, who spent years of their lives in Aubusson until they mastered the art of weaving to this perfection, and wove upon their looms wall tapestries for the greatest and most famous tapestry designers of the world.

Tapisserie weaving throughout the world suffers from a problem that all but threatens to destroy it: the multitude of taxes in Europe and America compels the workers to demand exorbitant wages; in consequence prices rise and selling becomes impossible, and governments rush to the aid of the factories. But financial aid alone does not suffice if there is no market in which to sell. The working hands grow scarce, the factories close their doors, and this beautiful art is destroyed.

In Lebanon, however — where taxes are all but imaginary, where economic and financial policy is sensible, aware, and understanding, and where our country's openness to free monetary exchange removes all the obstacles from which the industry of the West suffers — all this makes us look to the future with confidence, hope, and ease of mind, if these conditions remain as they are. Only a few years will pass before the products of our workshop are in the capitals of the East and in the capitals of Europe and America, in museums and palaces, rivaling the products of the world's most important factories, whether in price or in quality and taste.

At the dawn of history we gave the world the first letter and the first sail. And Lebanon, the homeland of intellectual radiance, can be the homeland of artistic radiance as well.

No one shall lord it over us. The world shall see Lebanon the home of beauty, the home of art and taste.

Our company has contracted with the most famous artists of France and America to weave their designs on our looms, and before long we shall be weaving the designs of our own gifted artists and bringing them out of our small circle into the wide and spacious world. Then we shall have done some part of our duty toward this homeland.

This project is a national project in its capital, its aim, and its importance; and it is a social and humanitarian project, because it secures for orphan girls free, honorable work that spares them beggary and keeps them far from corruption and moral degradation. Our project is artistic, because it rests upon the shoulders of artists.

It has been said of you, my Lady, that you are the faithful friend of the blind, the deaf, the poor, and the sick; allow me today to say to you that you are the godmother of artists and the beloved of orphans.

So in the name of Mrs. Hortense Philippe Tamer, president of this orphanage's society, and her companions in the work — these ladies who opened to us the doors of this institution with nobility, love, and eagerness — and in the name of us all, I thank you: ministers, deputies, ladies, journalists, and friends.

Long live Lebanon!