The Turnblad Carpet Comes Home

In 1902, the Turnblad family traveled to Constantinople where Swan purchased a grand souvenir—a large Persian carpet for his family home. At the time, the cost to buy, import, and ship the carpet to Minnesota cost Mr. Turnblad $1,500, a sum that translates to roughly $55,000 today. In a letter to Sister Marie Theresa at the Academy of Holy Angels, his daughter Lillian wrote “He (Swan Turnblad) wanted something especially fine and different from the other rugs.” 

The carpet adorned the Turnblad’s home at Cecil Flats and, according to Lillian, it sat in Christina’s sitting room “for the best part of thirty years”. After Christina’s death, the carpet traveled with Swan and Lillian from the Mansion to their apartment at 2615 Park Avenue. It remained in Lillian’s care until she sold the “beloved carpet” and donated the money to the Academy of Holy Angels, hoping that the funds would cover the purchase of a new altarpiece for the church.

The altarpiece, she wrote, would be “in my own secret heart—a memorial to my own dear mother.”

After being sold to a local family in 1937 and remaining away from the Turnblad Mansion for nearly 90 years, the carpet was finally returned home in May 2024. This meaningful homecoming was made possible through the shared commitment and generosity of ASI members and the dedicated efforts of the carpet’s owner, both of whom were eager to see it restored to its rightful place. 

“It is amazing to have this piece of the Turnblad’s history back with us,” Inga Theissen, ASI’s Manager of Collections and Historic Properties shared.  “There have been very few items belonging to the family that have found their way back to ASI. Items like these help us tell the story of the Turnblads—their lives and experiences as immigrants, as well as important details about a family that has remained so important to our community.” 

The rug was unveiled in a ceremony on September 24, celebrating the return of this heirloom piece. ASI is grateful to the donors who contributed to the acquisition of the Turnblad carpet and to those who supported the Curt Pederson Collections Stewardship Fund. The fund supports the acquisition of new artworks and objects and helps provide the tools and resources for care of the Turnblad Mansion and Carriage House.  If you would like to make a gift to the Curt Pederson Fund, please visit https://asimn.org/support/donate.

“You can imagine how dear this rug is to me and I hope that it will find its way into someone’s happy home, where in the course of time it will become an heirloom. My well wishes and prayers for the buyer will follow it.” – Lillian Turnblad