Caravan of East and West
Encyclopedia
The Caravan of East and West is a tax-exempt, educational foundation for brotherhood, established in 1929 by Mirza Ahmad Sohrab
, Lewis Stuyvesant Chanler
and his wife Julie
and located at 132 East 65th Street in New York City
, at Caravan House, the former Chanler town residence.
The Caravan was a foundation that grew out of the New History Society. The foundation had a quarterly magazine called The Caravan in 1929, it is not clear how long this magazine lasted. They also had a quarterly magazine called The Children's Caravan in 1935, which 'helps to keep children in touch with each other'. (Educational Digest). They also apparently published some other works.
Originally a part of the Bahá'í Faith
, that relationship ended shortly after the New York administration was denied oversight by its founders. Sohrab refused and was ex-communicated in 1939, which then led Julie to also refuse to appear to answer questions. The foundation severed ties, but continued to do work for the Bahá'í cause, without official sanction.
"At its height, just after World War II
, the Caravan had grown to a membership of almost 250,000.... and its business soon overshadowed the New History Society." Chapter 15 An article in the New York Times, states that in 1949 the German contingent alone had 100,000 members.
Two of the members of the Board of Directors were Syud Hossein, ambassador from India to Egypt and Minister to Trans-Jordan; and Basant Koomer a lecturer and educator.
A Foundation Fund directed by a Board of Directors with attorney Jacob Greenwald as Chairman was set up to continue the work of both the New Historical Society and the Caravan, planning for the day when Sohrab and Julie were no longer around.
In 1953, the Bahá'í materials the group had collected had grown so immense that Julie hired architect, John J. McNamara to design a library within the garden space of the Caravan House. Julia Chanler stated that ...."as part of the construction [of the library] was a block of white marble that `Abdu'l-Bahá
had sent to become the corner-stone of the Bahá'í Temple
in Wilmette which Sohrab had come to possess.". This stone was not forwarded to the temple site. The actual cornerstone used in the Temple was procured and donated by a Chicago-area Bahá’í, Ester "Nettie" Tobin.
The group's librarian was Vera Russell.
An ad for a special meeting of the corporation was placed in The New York Times November 21, 1958 naming Ronald K. Bayford as Executive Secretary. On October 29, 1961, an announcement of "Two horicultural lectures presented by the Caravan of East and West, an educational, nonprofit organization" appears in the New York Times. The Caravan of East and West still existed as late as 1967 when Peter Bloch was director. (Peter Bloch was later president of the Association For Puerto Rican-Hispanic Culture, Inc. New York Times, June 26, 1972.)
Sohrab died in 1958 and Chanler a few years later. The New History Society is now defunct, apparently not outliving Sohrab. Caravan House still exists at the same address as when founded, "Caravan Institute, Inc. is a non-profit organization founded in 1929 to further education and the arts." They have about a million a year in income. http://www.taxexemptworld.com/organizations/new_york_ny_10021.asp and are currently actively operating an adult-education Italian language school with no connection to the Bahá'í Faith. http://www.parliamo.com/rates.htm
Mirza Ahmad Sohrab
Mírzá Aḥmad Sohráb was a Persian-American author and Bahá'í who co-founded the New History Society and the Caravan of East and West in New York, and was excommunicated from the Bahá'í Faith in 1939 by Shoghi Effendi.-Early life:...
, Lewis Stuyvesant Chanler
Lewis Stuyvesant Chanler
Lewis Stuyvesant Chanler was a New York lawyer and politician.- Early life :He was the son of John Winthrop Chanler and Margaret Astor Ward. Chanler had nine brothers and sisters, including the artist Robert Winthrop Chanler and the soldier and explorer William Astor Chanler...
and his wife Julie
Julia Lynch Olin
Julia Lynch Olin , also writing as Julie Chanler, was an American author and Bahá'í who co-founded the New History Society in New York City, and was later expelled from the religion by Shoghi Effendi around 1939....
and located at 132 East 65th Street in New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
, at Caravan House, the former Chanler town residence.
The Caravan was a foundation that grew out of the New History Society. The foundation had a quarterly magazine called The Caravan in 1929, it is not clear how long this magazine lasted. They also had a quarterly magazine called The Children's Caravan in 1935, which 'helps to keep children in touch with each other'. (Educational Digest). They also apparently published some other works.
Originally a part of the Bahá'í Faith
Bahá'í Faith
The Bahá'í Faith is a monotheistic religion founded by Bahá'u'lláh in 19th-century Persia, emphasizing the spiritual unity of all humankind. There are an estimated five to six million Bahá'ís around the world in more than 200 countries and territories....
, that relationship ended shortly after the New York administration was denied oversight by its founders. Sohrab refused and was ex-communicated in 1939, which then led Julie to also refuse to appear to answer questions. The foundation severed ties, but continued to do work for the Bahá'í cause, without official sanction.
"At its height, just after World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, the Caravan had grown to a membership of almost 250,000.... and its business soon overshadowed the New History Society." Chapter 15 An article in the New York Times, states that in 1949 the German contingent alone had 100,000 members.
Two of the members of the Board of Directors were Syud Hossein, ambassador from India to Egypt and Minister to Trans-Jordan; and Basant Koomer a lecturer and educator.
A Foundation Fund directed by a Board of Directors with attorney Jacob Greenwald as Chairman was set up to continue the work of both the New Historical Society and the Caravan, planning for the day when Sohrab and Julie were no longer around.
In 1953, the Bahá'í materials the group had collected had grown so immense that Julie hired architect, John J. McNamara to design a library within the garden space of the Caravan House. Julia Chanler stated that ...."as part of the construction [of the library] was a block of white marble that `Abdu'l-Bahá
`Abdu'l-Bahá
‘Abdu’l-Bahá , born ‘Abbás Effendí, was the eldest son of Bahá'u'lláh, the founder of the Bahá'í Faith. In 1892, `Abdu'l-Bahá was appointed in his father's will to be his successor and head of the Bahá'í Faith. `Abdu'l-Bahá was born in Tehran to an aristocratic family of the realm...
had sent to become the corner-stone of the Bahá'í Temple
Bahá'í House of Worship
A Bahá'í House of Worship, sometimes referred to by its Arabic name of Mashriqu'l-Adhkár ,is the designation of a place of worship, or temple, of the Bahá'í Faith...
in Wilmette which Sohrab had come to possess.". This stone was not forwarded to the temple site. The actual cornerstone used in the Temple was procured and donated by a Chicago-area Bahá’í, Ester "Nettie" Tobin.
The group's librarian was Vera Russell.
An ad for a special meeting of the corporation was placed in The New York Times November 21, 1958 naming Ronald K. Bayford as Executive Secretary. On October 29, 1961, an announcement of "Two horicultural lectures presented by the Caravan of East and West, an educational, nonprofit organization" appears in the New York Times. The Caravan of East and West still existed as late as 1967 when Peter Bloch was director. (Peter Bloch was later president of the Association For Puerto Rican-Hispanic Culture, Inc. New York Times, June 26, 1972.)
Sohrab died in 1958 and Chanler a few years later. The New History Society is now defunct, apparently not outliving Sohrab. Caravan House still exists at the same address as when founded, "Caravan Institute, Inc. is a non-profit organization founded in 1929 to further education and the arts." They have about a million a year in income. http://www.taxexemptworld.com/organizations/new_york_ny_10021.asp and are currently actively operating an adult-education Italian language school with no connection to the Bahá'í Faith. http://www.parliamo.com/rates.htm
Works
- Sohrab, Mirza Ahmad. A Persian Rosary of Nineteen Pearls. 2nd. ed. New York, Caravan of East & West, n.d. [194-?] 3rd. ed. New York, Caravan of East & West, n.d. [195-?] ed., [4]. New York: New History Society, n.d. [1939].
- Bahai Cause, Founded by Baha-o-llah, Is a Call to Spiritually Mature Men and Women, The. 4. New York: Caravan of the East and West, n.d. [194-?].
- One Hundred Years, 1844-1944. 24 leaves. New York: Caravan of East and West, 1944. Collins 12.13 (Also a version with 46 pages).
- The Plan of the Caravan for the Republic of Mankind. [4]. New York: Caravan of East and West, n.d. [195-?].
- Opening of Bahai Library. [2] leaves. New York: Caravan of East & West, 1953.
- A Code of Civilization. Resolutions presented by Mirza Ahmad Sohrab and passed unanimously by the members of the Caravan on Saturday afternoon, April 10, 1954. New York: Caravan of East and West, 1954.
- Ioas, Leroy, Mrs Lewis Stuyvesant [Julie Chanler] Chanler, and Ahmad Sohrab. Three Letters. [11] leaves. New York: Caravan of East and West, 1954.
- Call to a World Conference in Jerusalem, 1957. 4. New York: The Caravan of East and West, n.d. [1955?].