Object Record
Images
Metadata
Accession Number |
2004.50.00 |
Catalog Number |
2004.50.01 |
Object Name |
Trunk |
Collection |
Karen Aboussie |
Date |
circa 1910 |
Description |
Trunk owned by M.K. Massad, dates to the early 1900's After immigrating from Lebanon in 1906, M.K. Massad settled in Oklahoma and began peddling linens and other items to rural communities in Oklahoma and Northern Texas. He used this trunk to move items to small towns from farm to farm. In the late 1800s and early 1900s, peddling was a common profession among Arab Americans. Peddling was attractive to early immigrants because it required neither savings nor proficiency in English and yielded relatively high income. As Arab peddlers sold household goods door-to-door in small and rural areas not well served by stores, they settled in these areas and opened stores. A whole industry arose out of peddling in which Arab suppliers stationed themselves in certain towns along the peddling routes that served as supply stations and resting points. Before the end of the nineteenth century there were several successful Syrian manufacturers, importers, and wholesalers in New York City. Trade in oriental rugs and linens also flourished. The Syrians imported goods from China, the Philippines, Syria, Italy, and France. They also employed individuals to make lace and embroidery in their own homes. They would then sell the goods to peddlers as far as Texas and California. Peddlers became such a recognizable feature of the American landscape, that one of the main characters of the famous musical Oklahoma! is a peddler. |
Search Terms |
Immigrant Immigration Lebanese Americans |
Subjects |
Peddlers Immigrants |
Lexicon category |
3: Personal Artifacts |