We’ll let the videographer, David Herzberg, explain the significance of this moment in 2012 but uploaded to the Internet only a few days ago:
In 1932 Lorenzo Hubbell of the famous Hubbell Trading Post network commissioned Sam and Julia Joe to weave the
world’s largest Navajo Rug for promotional purposes. It has not been seen in public in over 50 years.
Allan Affeldt purchased the rug in 2012. He donated it to the Winslow Art Trust and it will be displayed at the Route 66 Art Museum at La Posada Hotel in Winslow, Arizona.On this day the descendants of the Joe family have been invited to a private reunion at La Posada. This event is especially touching because in attendance is Emma Joe who as a child carded wool for two years to help make the rug. This will be the first time most of the members of the Joe family will see and touch the rug.
The world’s largest Navajo Rug – La Posada Hotel in Winslow, Arizona from David Herzberg on Vimeo.
According to the Navajo-Hopi Observor, the rug is valued at $1 million and measures 26 by 36 feet. It required the wool of 78 sheep.
The portion of the Route 66 Gallery at La Posada that will display the rug, according a Facebook post from the motel, should be completed by this fall.
Does anyone know if Route 66 holds the world record for the most world record objects of art. We saw a number of huge things all along the way. I have pictures of most of them. I bet the route would be high on the list if one exists.