THE POST WWII ERA ( ca 1945 – 1973 )

PART III A LISTING OF THE PERSONAGES & FIRMS IN LONDON’S GREAT INTERNATIONAL ORIENT RUG TRADE WHOSE FOCUS WAS THE PORT OF LONDON’S ‘CUTLER STREET WAREHOUSE’.


Nb. Merchants with goods warehoused usually in bond , in the PLA’s Warehouse in Cutler Street, or Agents, Brokers, Repairers etc, operating within those premises TOGETHER WITH details of firms within easy walking distance of the PLA warehouses

• M. P. Abramoff & Co. Dealers and brokers (mainly Afghans)
o Maurice Abramoff
o Johnnie Abramoff
• Amir Achouri (emigrated to Hamburg) Persian Importer
• Afghan Carpet Company Afghan Importers
o A. Ambalu
o M. Ambalu
o Z. C. Ambalu
• Afghan Export Import Company Afghan Importers
o M. S. Ambalu
o L. Ambalu
• Afghan National Bank Merchant Bank
o Representing many Afghanistan based exporters of carpets and produce who had no particular contacts in Britain
o Omar Khan, Director (the King of Afghanistan’s cousin)

• Afghan Persian Trading Company Afghan Importers
o D. Nagioff
o S. Y. Eshkeri
• Afghan Products Trading Company Afghan Importers
o Joseph Ambalo
o David Nagioff
• Sheikh Ijaz Ahmed Pakistani Importer and agent
o (also trading as ‘SIACO’)

• Alfandary Ltd. Dealers & brokers
o Solomom Alfandary
o M. Alfandary
o J. Alfandary
o R. Alfandary
o A. Alfandari (splet with an ‘I’)
o Albert R. Alfandary (Solomon’s nephew)

• Djivan Amassian. Old rugs
• Joseph R. Ambalo & Co. Afghan Importers
• Amerind Afghan Importer
• David Amini Persian Importer
• M. & D. Aminoff
o M…. Aminoff + Daoud Aminoff
o NOTE: succeeded by M & BD Aminoff (qv) and by Reuben Aminoff & Sons (qv)
• M. & B. D. Aminoff Persian Importers
o Matti Aminoff (married Norman Harounoff’s sister)
• Reuben Aminoff & Sons . Persian Importers

• Anglo Afghan Carpet Company Afghan Importers
o Moshe Bezalel (later in jewellery)
• Anglo-Austrian Oriental Carpet Co. Importers
o The Issakides family
o NOTE: Also in Paris and in Hamburg
• Aryan Trading Co. Afghan Importers
• Asiatic Carpets Ltd. Chinese and Indian Importers
o Solomon (‘Soly’) Kelaty
• Suleiman Aslan. Merchant & broker

• Amos Azizoff Persian Importer
o Amos Azizoff (formerly Azizollahoff)
o Eric Azizoff (his younger brother)
• Y. Azizollahoff & Co Persian Importers
o A. R. Azizollahoff
o T. Levy
o D. Azizollahoff (A. R. Azizollahoff’s son)
o A. Levy (T. Levy’s son)
• Henry Azizollahoff Persian Importer
Note: now in jewellery
• Nathan Azizollahoff Importer & broker
Notes: [1] married Miriam the sister of Isaac and Solly Ebrahimoff [2] also with South African connections in the fur trade
o His son Joe Azizollahoff
• B. & C. Carpet Co. Old rugs
o Benzi Yacobi ( now in jewellery )
o Carole Yacobi ( Nabi Eliaszade’s daughter)

• Baghirzade (emigrated to Hamburg) Persian Importer
• A. Balian & Son. Old rugs, and Rug washing
o Vahram Balian
 o Angele Ballan (his sister)

• M. S. Bayat Importer of Shiraz rugs
• Mardkhay Banilivi Importer
• Y. Bassally Trading Co. Importers
o Jack Bassally
• Stephen Reghian Importer

• A. Benjamin Broker, financier & stockbroker

• Ezepos G. Benlian Ltd. Manufacturer of Persian Carpets. Especially those signed carpets which are nowadays readily catalogued as Benlian Tabriz
o …. Wills (salesman)
o Miss Greenway ( office manager )
 o Edward E. Benlian
 Note: The company also had a one third interest in Hindustan Carpets Ltd
• A. & S. Besselali Pakistan Importers
o S. Reuben
o S. R. Elishahoff
• Rahim Bonakdarian (of Hamburg) Persian Importer
o H. Okhovots, i/c the London operation
• Boors Export Company Ltd Afghan and Pakistani Importers & agents
(was Boors Export Corporation)
o B. A. Elishahoff
• Carpet Export Company Importers
o M. Beghian
o Ibrahim Nemetnejad

• Carpet Export Syndicate Ltd. Brokers
o E. H. Athanassoglou ( of Eastern Trades Ltd. who controlled it )
o Dr. Herman F. Ganz (ex Mainz. 1938)
• Central Fur & Carpet Co. Persian Importers
o Lutfullah Aminoff
o Ishmail Aminoff
o Nuriel Aminoff
• Centro Carpets Ltd. East European Importers
o Felix Pollak (ex RAF, from Prague)
• Chinese Carpet Company Old & Antique Chinese Importers
o Gabriel Kurkdjian
o Edward (Eddie) Kurkdjian, his son
o Edward (Eddie) Minassian
• M? Choopani Persian Importer

• Cleaver & Kite Ltd Dealers ( ex Eastern Trades Ltd.
• Coetsee South African buying agent
• Corona (overseas) Ltd Importers
o David Levy
o Elias Levy
• Albert Dangor Dealer
• M. N. Dar Pakistan Importer and agent
 • Pinhas Davidoff Pakistan Importer and agent
 • Eastern Trades Ltd Dealer
o E. H. Athanassoglou (known as Mr. ‘A’)
o H. Knowland (General Manager)
o General Auchinlek (Director, non-executive)
o ….. Cleaver (office manager)
o Other companies operated or used by Mr. ‘A’ include:
Carpet Export Syndicate Ltd (Dr. H. F. Ganz)
P & O Carpets (1959) Ltd ( for details see entry below )
 • Sterlina Wholesalers Ltd
• Ebrahimoff, Djemshidoff & Co Persian Importers & financiers
o H. A. (Hadji Agha) Ebrahimoff & his sons Isaac & Solly (his daughter, married Nathan Azizollahoff)
o A. K. Ebrahimoff
• S. & I. Ebrahimoff Ltd Persian Importers & financiers
o Isaac Ebrahimoff
o Solly Ebrahimoff
o …. Kaspar (their book-keeper)

• H. A. Eliasoff Persian Importer
• F. K. and N. Eliaszade Importers
o Fatollah Kohan
o Nabi Eljaszade (his brother)

• H. Elichaoff & Co. Persian Importers
o Haim Elichaoff
o Eli (Haim’s oldest son)
o Michael (Haim’s second son)
o Ronnie (Haim’s youngest son)
• Elichaoff Brothers Persian Importers
o Eli (Haim’s oldest son, now in Israel)
o Michael ( Haim’s second son )
o Ronnie ( Haim’s youngest son )
• B.A. Elishahoff ( see under Boors above )
• N. B. Elisha zade Persian Importer
• Elitex Trading Company Ltd Importers
o Nabi Eliaszade
o Fatollah Kohan, his brother
o Benzi Yacobi (his son in law)
o Joe Nagioff ( who left to join G.S.Kurkdjian & Co.
o Other companies operated or used by Nabi Eliaszade include:
 • B. & C. Carpet Co. (in old rugs)
 • F. K. & N. Eliaszade
 • Soraya Carpets Ltd

• Eshkeri Ltd Afghan and Chinese Importers
 Y. Eshkeri
o Joseph Eshkeri ( his son)
• Essefian Brothers Ltd Chinese Importer
o Hagop Essefian (the elder)
o Yervant Essefian (the younger)
• Vahan Evrenian Broker
• …. Feldman Dealer
• Shimon Gad Afghan Importer
o Shimon Gad
o Benjamin Gad (his son who operated under his own name after his father died)
• S…. Gamlieli International Broker

• …. Gulbenkian Persian Importer
o (represented by M. A. Samad)

• Azizullah Hadi Broker
• Nouroullah Hadi Dealer
• Abdul Hai Broker
• Joseph Hajioff Dealer

• …. Hakiman Persian Importer
Note: Emigrated to USA, early 1970s
• Hale & Son Importers of all Indian produce
• Rodney Slater ( manager of the carpet dept.)

• Harounoff & Co Persian Importers
Note: Also Kermanshah Carpet Co.
• David Harounoff
Note: He was the first of the Persian Jews to start a rug business in London (in 1910)
• Joseph Harounoff (one of his brothers)
• Samuel Harounoff (another brother)
• Judah Harounoff (a fourth brother; formerly a rug dealer in Cairo, who came to London after the revolution)
six of their descendants:
• Bennie Harounoff
• Jack Harounoff (became a retailer)
• Matti Harounoff (one of David’s sons - he became a retailer)
• Abraham Harounoff (‘Aby’, another of David’s sons)
• Norman Harounoff (Samuel’s son: his sister married Matti Aminoff )
• Nessim Harounoff (Joseph’s son)
• Rahamin Harounoff Importer
• …. Harvey Broker

• A. Heskell & Sons Ltd
• Adolf Heskell
• Raymond Heskell (his older son)
• John Heskell (his younger son)
• Hindustan Carpets Ltd Indian Importers
• Edward E. Benlian
• Petrak Izmidlian
• Haig Oundjian
Note: The founders each had a one third share ; when Oundjian emigtated to Canada, he sold his share to the remaining two. Benlian eventually sold his share ( now 50% of the company ) to P&O Carpets
• Holdsworths Dealers
• Isfahan Trading Co. Ltd Persian Importers
(representing the ‘Sherket-i-Farsh’ in London)

 • M. Daneshkhu
• Jack Izmidlian Ltd International Buying Agent
Note company dissolved 1993/05/18 )
• Jack Haldane Izmidlian
 ( later shortened to Jack Haldane)
• Jack Izmidlian ( London ) Ltd Dealers
Note company dissolved 1993/05/18 )
• Jack Haldane Izmidlian
 ( later shortened to Jack Haldane)
• Izmidlian Trading Company Ltd Dealers
(diss’d 1992/08/11
 • Georges Izmidlian

 • ? …Jaffe (could have been Yaffe)
 • H. A. Kalaidjan (‘Artinik’) Old & Antique Rugs
• A. Kalbian Old Rugs
• Ahad Karabaghi (of Tehran)
 • Notes : [1] a nephew of Nassirbecoff
 [2] originally represented by M.A. Samad
 [3] after Cutler Street closed , worked with Eastern Carpets Ltd.
• D. & S. Karimzadeh Persian Importers
• David Karimzadeh

• Kayam Carpets Ltd Indian and Chinese Importers
• Joe Nehorai ( a close relative of Henry Norell formally Habib Norell
• Max Bernstein (previously carpet Buyer of the ‘Army & Navy Stores’)
• Patrick Kehyaian Importer , Agent and Broker
• L. Kelaty Ltd Importers
• Levy Kelaty
• Judah Kelaty (his youngest brother)
• Tim Sainani (accountant, left to set up the Indo Orient Trading Co.)
• Fe Landicho
• Note L. Kelaty moved out of Cutler Street a couple of years before the PLA closed and went to occupy the former Gainsborough Film Studios. They became Britain’s largest wholesalers having an exclusive arrangements with the USSR
• A. F. M. (Michael) Kendjian Broker
• Kermanshah Carpet Co.
See Harounoff & Co above

• Keshishian (formerly Kesisyan) Turkish Importer
• Karnik Keshishian
• Arto Keshishian (his older son) now retail London
• Eddie Keshishian (his younger son) now retail New York
• Vahan Keshishian (Karnik’s brother) Broker
Note : in later years he appears to have acted exclusively for Maurice Lidchi’s “ Persian Carpet Trading Co. Ltd.”
• Habib Khodadad Persian Importer
• H. Khonsari Persian Importer
• F. Kohanim Ltd Persian Importers
• Fatollah Kohanim
• Reuben Kohanim (his son)

• G. S. Kurkdjian & Co. Importers and Brokers
• Gabriel Kurkdjian
• Edward (Eddie) Kurkdjian
• Joe Nagioff
 Note: [1]Also operated the Chinese Carpet Company.
[2] Gabriel Kurddjian had been on the staff of Shaninian, the carpet washers, until this closed down.
• Dikran Kutchukian Expert accredited to HM Customs
• Yossef Lavian Persian Importer & old rugs
Note : later known as Joseph Lavian
• Amir Levy Importer
• Howard R. Mansell Home Market Wholesaler

• A. L. McGuire Broker to West End stores
• Mehdi Carpets Ltd / Mehdi Ltd. Soviet and other Imports
• R. Mehdi
• Sion Mehdi (his son)
Note : Their buying trips were increasingly financed by the Glezers of Antwerp and it was thanks to Gletzers’ backing that they were able to take up such substantial premises in the successor warehouse in Kentish Town
• K. R. Mehrabi Persian Importer & Financier
• John Metaxides Old & Antique carpets
Note : Kept most of his goods in retail premises at the Bishopsgate end of New Street but he found it more practical to store his larger carpets on the first floor of the PLA’s Cutler Street Warehouse

• Edward (Eddie) Arice Minassian Dealer
Note : Also a partner in the Kurkdjians Chinese rug importing business the “ Chinese Carpet Company “
[2] After the death of Dikran Kutchukian, became accrediated H.M. Customs as their expert on oriental rugs
• …. Mirzoeff Importer
 Note the well-known TV producer is his son

• N. ( Niaz ) Murad & Co. Afghan Importer
• Niaz Murad (murdered in Kabul)
• Nader Trading Dealer

• H. A. and A. K. Nagioff Persian Importers
• A. K Nagioff & Sons Persian Importers
Note: Later became A. K. Nagioff & Son
• A. B. Nassirbecoff Persian Importer
Note: represented by M. A. Samad

• Kurban Ali Nawrozzadeh Afghan Importer
Note : left the UK for Germany but re-appeared in the 1970s when he founded the Nawrozzadeh Trading Company in Kentish Town a stone’s throw from the IOCC. In this he was joined by his sons , and later on by relatives from Germany

• Davoud Nematnejad & Son Persian Importer
Note: spelt with an ‘A’
• Ibrahim Nemetnejad Persian Importer
Note : spelt with an ‘E’
• Ibrahim Nemetnejad
• Selim Nemetnejad his younger brother

• H. A Nessim
• Philip Morris (repairer)

• New Street Carpets Old Rugs
• Fatollah Kohan (formerly Eliaszade)
• Nissims (of Houndsditch)
Home trade wholesalers
• …. Driscoll
• …. Glass

• Henry Norell Broker
• (formerly Habib Nehorai)

• Leon Norell (Henry Norell’s third son) Broker
• Nouri Norell (Henry Norell’s second son) Broker and a qualified lawyer

• Oriental Rug Company
• Gabriel Kurkdjian
• K. R. Mehrabi
• A. Oundjian (London) Ltd Importers
• V. E. (Vahe) Oundjian ( of Toronto where he ran his own rug wholesale business )
• H. A. (Haig) Oundjian
• Ernest Cottage (Company Secretary & General manager)
• Hagop Nevshehir
• Nick Oundjian (Haig’s eldest son)
• Joe Everett (Elias’ brother in law) – see photos
Note : (1) exports through A. Oundjian (Export) Ltd
Note : (2) The company also had a one third interest in Hindustan Carpets Ltd

• P. & O. Carpets Ltd
 • Petrak Izmidlian (M.D.)
• Artin Silguidjian (of Brussels, Director)
• …. Ekisler ( company secretary)
• Jack Haldane Izmidlian
• Georges Izmidlian
• A. Chimchirian (repairer)
• Meguerdich Doudian
• Denise Peacock ( Office Manager )
Notes: [1] The company also had a one third interest in Hindustan Carpets Ltd rising tho one half when Oundjian left the country acquiring Benlian’s half share to make it a wholly owned sudsidiary of the company.
[2] Artin Silguidjian’s interest was bought out in 1956 and Jack Haldane ne Izmidlian was appointed a director in his place
[3] As it was now a family company , Petrak Izmidlian brought in his elder son Georges into the business after a few months and he , too, was appointed a Director.
[4] There were internal problems following the death of Petrak Izmidlian . These led to the company going into voluntary liquidation in 1959, when it was bought up by the opportunistic E.H.Athanassoglu. The new entity was temporarily named P&O carpets ( 1959 ) Ltd. – details below

• P. & O. Carpets (1959) Ltd Dealers
• David Futerman - representing Eastern Trades ( MD )
• Georges Izmidlian ( Director)
 • Suleiman Aslan ( Consultant )
NOTE: The company inherited the whole of Hindustan Carpets Ltd

• …. Papazoglu Greek and Turkish Importer
• Persian Carpet Trading Company Ltd Dealers
• Maurice Lidchi (now of Switzerland )
• Vincent Cable
• Mano Vayis (who now deals in old textiles)
• Vahan Keshishian (their broker)
• Persian Fur Agency Dealers
• J. Yehazkel
• N. Hadi-Rahmani

• Quetta Carpets Indian /Afghan Importers?
• Rama Carpet Company Importers
• Simon Gorjian
• Simon Reuben
Note : started to take an interest in property. As this developed he abandoned rugs. He and his brother are currently amongst the very richest men in Britain

• Rifio Overseas Pakistani Importers
• Rafio Abid
• Rumanian Carpets Ltd Romanian Importers
• E. H. Athanassoglou (of Eastern Trades Ltd)
• Wilfried Tops, Manager
• Vavasseurs, Financiers
Note: name changed to Romanian Carpets Ltd
• Saber Brothers Persian Importers
• Sam & Company Importers
• Sam Ismailoff
• E. A. ( Ebrahim ) Samad Agent, Broker & Persian Imports

• M. A. Samad Broker & Persian Importer
• Mehdi A. Samad
• E. K. A. (Eric) Samad (his youngest brother)
• Michael Samad (his son)
• Elvira Sanson, Ltd Dealers
• Elvira Sanson
• Theodor Sanson (her husband)
• Francis Sanson (her son)
• Singleton Benda Indian Importers
• …. Benda

• Soraya Carpets Ltd Pakistan Importers
• Note: Associated with Elitex
• Sterlina Wholesalers Ltd Pakistan Importers
• Note: Associated with Eastern Trades Ltd

• Teheran Carpet Company Ltd Dealers
• Elie J. Elias
• Joe Everett - his brother in law, who left for Oundjian
 • …. Shamlian (his repairer)
• Nevart Shamlian (his secretary, daughter of Shamlian the repairer)
 • Trading Company of Afghanistan Merchant Bankers
Note: They represented many Afghani merchants who had no particular contacts in Britain.
• …. Redjah, general manager
• Turkman Afghan Carpets Ltd Afghan Importers
• M. Y. Kaker

• …. Yadgoroff Afghan Importer
• (Usually in association with M. P. Abramoff)
• Yakoubian Old & Antique Rugs
• …. Yakoubian (who started it)
• Y. Gregory (his son, formerly Gregory Yakoubian)
Note : Yakoubian’s daughter Flora married Hrant Abadjian
Sarkis Zakarian Russian Importer




retyped Charlotte Fereday
further assisted Clive Rogers

Part I Pre 1914
Part II 1918-1939
GB Dealer History

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