In 1932, a group of like-minded men met together in New York to found a club which they named after an amiable rogue, Hajji Baba, the hero of a nineteenth century novel whose name translates as “pilgrim father”. The interest they shared was a passion for collecting and studying Oriental rugs.

The club grew and flourished. Its early members included men of means who were able to collect historically important rugs at at time when such things were available; many were given to museums. Today such are rare, so collectors have extended their field of interest to include a huge range of rugs and textiles – mostly from Asia and some from Africa.

To celebrate seventy-five years of the club’s existence, members have chosen to share their enthusiasm with a wider public by presenting for exhibition a varied and exciting selection of rugs and textiles, drawn from the holdings of members past and present.