100 years ago, CHARLES CORM

A Man of Culture who used a Car to establish a Country

Introduction

Built on the slopes of Mount Lebanon, Beirut, a port city has a long history from pre-historic times, through Phoenician, Greek, Roman, Islamic and Ottoman periods, mainly as both a trading and cultural centre.

Under the French mandate in the 1920’s, Beirut, was known as the ‘Paris of the Middle East’.

It was also a major trading gateway including into Iran. In 1925, an Iranian budding business entrepreneur, Habib Sabet, visited he expressed “unprecedented excitement” at the sight of such a thriving environment. After a few days, he decided to buy a car, specifically a Ford. Visiting the local dealer, Sabet recalled he was a ‘respectable and well-mannered poet and scholar, very elegantly dressed, always wearing beige silk shirts and high-quality suits.’ With this car, Sabet drove to Haifa then to Teheran, selling the Model T for twice the purchase price. Not surprisingly, he repeated this exercise a number of times. Finally, Habib Sabet purchase of a “Tin Lizzie” from Charles Corm, was the inspiration and foundation of his business which turned him into a billionaire and one of Iran’s richest men.

But who was the Ford dealer described as a poet and scholar?

He was Charles Corm, born in 1894. His father was a very famous Lebanese artist who trained at the Rome Academy

Daoud Corm famous Artist, Charles’ father painting Pope Pius IX

His eldest son Charles attended a top university in Beirut run by the Jesuits. After graduation he travelled to Paris. There he circulated amongst the Bohemian set, including meeting Rodin. While liking the lifestyle, Corm wanted to finance himself and not be dependent on his father.

So, at the age of 18, in 1912, he travelled to New York. To survive he set up an import/export business in Broadway. His primary language was French, to learn English he attended the same Broadway time-after-time until he had learnt the basics of New York English!

He was inspired by the entrepreneurial spirit in New York, impressed by the skyscrapers and in particular how many automobiles were already in use.

The Car

Looking to expand his business and seeing the car as the future, he travelled to Detroit, set on getting a meeting with the number one manufacturer - Henry Ford.

Henry Ford the amongst the richest man in the World at that time

At that time Model T production at the new Highland Park plant was expanding rapidly, operating the first moving automobile assembly line in the world. It employed about 13,000 people and produced over 200,000 vehicles.

Ford had also started to expand internationally, first in Canada, with Europe, South America and Japan to follow.

But how did a fresh from college young chap from Lebanon get to meet with a practical man, born on a farm, whose business was in the midst of incredible world leading growth?

The answer was sheer persistence with a dash of charm. By sitting in Ford’s waiting room week-after-week, until finally he got in to meet the man.

Asked what he wanted Corm said an exclusive agency to sell Ford’s cars in Lebanon. The response was where, which led Corm to point to a dot on the world map. Ford then asked “Son, do they have any roads?” Corm replied and here the combination of the entrepreneurial New York spirit he had picked up together with his inborn trading skills came to the fore “You provide the cars and I will build the roads!” That clinched the deal and Corm left Detroit with a paper signed by Henry Ford.

Assembling Department Charles Corm’s & Co. Headquarters – Beirut 1921

However, the Great War intervened and it wasn’t until the middle of 1921 that things stabilised sufficiently that the first shipment of Ford automobiles arrived in wooden crates, at Beirut Port.

Over the next 3 months, 90 vehicles were assembled from what we would now call ‘knock down kits’ and sold. Corm himself was known to get his “hands dirty” working on the assembly.

Picture of the 1st Ford Transport Ship at Beirut Port in September 5, 1921 carrying 90 cars

Ford Kits in wooden crates Alexandretta Branch

A further 60 Model T’s 60 out were ordered, which was a phenomenal accomplishment at a time when automobiles were still more a curiosity than a necessity. The roads were more likely to be dirt tracks, cluttered with mules and horse-drawn carts and carriages.

Latakia Branch- Circa 1927 Model T Ford on display Beirut 1925

Managing the business called for frequent visits to the new branches. Interestingly, Corm never learnt to drive but had a driver. A trip from Beirut to Haifa would take 6 hours, often on dusty unmade roads. He would sit on the Model T back seat writing continuously. A chain-smoker, when he ran out of paper, he would use the cigarette wrappers to continue writing. These now form part of the massive Corm archive, which includes plays and poetry.

Amongst his customers was the French High Commissioner, the representative of the French “colonial authorities” who would be expected to be driving a Citroen or a Renault. This helped sales as both other French officials and those of influence would follow this lead.

Corm had stiff competition from other vehicle manufacturers, both European and American. He often beat them because his company was the only to offer finance options and payment plans, which made a vehicle more affordable for a wider range of customers.

Price List Letter to Aleppo Branch His success was such that at one point, one third of the vehicles sold in the Near East were Ford’s, all via Corm’s business, which made it the largest Ford franchise in the world.

Poster of the Charles Corm & Co.

At its height, Corm's company, Société́ Générale Industrielle & Commerciale, was the first and largest multinational in the Levant region, with branches in Lebanon, Syria, Palestine, Transjordan, and Turkey (Beirut, Damascus, Aleppo, Tripoli,

Latakia, Alexandretta, Jerusalem, Jaffa, Haifa, Amman, Homs, Zahlé, Antioch, Tyre) and more.

Haifa Branch Aleppo Branch

It employed upwards of a thousand Turks, Lebanese, Syrians, Iraqis, Transjordanians, Iranians, and Palestinians (Jews, Christians, Baha’is, and Muslims alike,) became the source of livelihood of thousands of families.

As the business expanded, so did the range offered and included agricultural machinery and customized Ford vehicles for the Lebanese Security Forces. The business thrived and took on agencies for other suppliers such as International Harvester, John Deere and Firestone.

Fordson & Firestone Spare Parts Shop

As Corm had forecast, the use of motor vehicles increased in the region, the development of the required infrastructure followed, including paving of new roads. Bridges were often initially made from the packing case material used to transport the cars.

New Regional Headquarters

The French poet and philosopher, Paul Valéry, gave Corm a copy of his new book Eupalinos in 1921, inscribed “To my friend Charles Corm who, naturally, knew Eupalinos better than anyone else”. Eupalinos was an ancient Greek engineer famous for building a tunnel, described as one of the three greatest works of the Greeks. The point being that Corm regarded architecture, like art, as a major human endeavour and as such was yet another facet of his interests.

In 1928, though lacking any formal architectural training, Corm designed Ford Motor Company's Middle East Headquarters building. Inspired by New York skyscrapers, it was unique in the area, both in style and the material used. Erected in 1929 in Beirut, It was the Middle East's first skyscraper and the highest standing structure in Lebanon until 1967, it’s strength was such that it survived and withstood the 1956 Chim Earthquake—a 6.0 tremor along the Dead Sea seismic fault system that caused much damage and heavy casualties throughout Beirut and Lebanon.

The 8-story building contained 12 hangar-like bays which flanked the main structure and contained the workshops, including car assembly areas and the showrooms.

According to Corm’s son Hiram, most Beirutis suspected that the building, called “Maison Blanche de Beyrouth” was a such magnitude, that it was thought to be a church or some religious space.

“Maison Blanche de Beyrouth”

The property later became the Corm family residence.

A New Country - Lebanon

The full story of the re-establishment of Lebanon is outside the scope of this article. However, it may be argued that Corm’s combination of personal magnetism,

charisma and commercial success ‘greased the wheels’ for the creation of an independent Lebanon and enabled the establishment of diplomatic relations, among emerging Middle Eastern states.

For example, Charles Corm organised and personally funded a pavilion at the 1939 New York World’s Fair. It was described by Mayor LaGuardia as one of the most popular attractions. Which, given it was small, hastily assembled and from a small, almost unknown aspiring country, was a great achievement. It told an inspiring story of the Lebanon’s past and present. This raised the profile of the area, which particularly impressed both the French and American authorities. A valuable factor for the future independence aspirations.

1939 New York World’s Fair Mayor LaGuardia with General Eisenhower

His cultural interests were wide, including as a writer and poet, he strongly advocated Lebanese identity and nationalism in a country torn by sectarian conflict.

His intention was to find a common root that could be shared by all Lebanese.

Politically, Corm was the driving force behind the Phoenician movement that paved the way to Lebanese nationalism and independence in 1943.

One of his main intellectual contributions La Revue Phénicienne, a publication he founded in July 1919 in which many writers such as Khalil Gibran, Michel Chiha and Said Akl took part and which inspired Lebanon's independence. Rushdy Maalouf, the father of Académie Française member and Francophone novelist Amin Maalouf wrote: "Charles was the first one to show us how to love Lebanon, how to vaunt and defend Lebanon, and how to become master-builders of this Lebanon."

Culture Made the Man

At university, Charles Corm was described as “precocious, curious, sharp and bewitching” and in debate as fearless, passionate for his own ideas but never offensive or discourteous. As mentioned earlier, he was stimulated by meeting the Parisian intellectuals, when he visited after graduation.

This meant that even during the busiest periods of his business growth he continued to write and publish.

At the beginning of the 1930’s, Corm established Amitiés Libanaises, a cultural salon, which saw weekly gatherings of the intellectual elite of the time. Including Pierre Benoît, Paul Valéry, Eliahu Epstein, Charles Plisnier, Paul Morand and F. Scott Fitzgerald, plus a number of Lebanese literati, politicos, and aspiring authors. The gatherings brought together Christian’s, Jews and Muslims, hosting both advocates of an Arab Palestine and a those for a Jewish state. All were inspired by the “binding spell of their host’s charm and infectious energy”.

For intellectuals, artists, cultural and political figures visiting Lebanon, a visit to Maison Blanche was high on the priorities. Some considered it the equivalent of visiting Athens and seeing the Acropolis.

At the age of 40, in 1934, Corm stepped back from directly managing his businesses to focus on his cultural interests, realising his Bohemian interest in art, drawing, writing and poetry.

Corm’s wealth was such that he became a philanthropist and used his wealth to finance a range of Lebanese state properties, including the Parliament, the National Museum, the National Library and other cultural landmarks at a time when the newly independent Lebanon lacked funds.

In 1935 he married Samia Baroody, who had been Miss Lebanon and who finished second in the Miss Universe in Brussels in 1934. They had four children.

In summary, this is an incredible story of a man endowed with many skills. Born into an area known for thousands of years of trading skills and personally from a long line of artists and scholars, (his grandfather, Simon, had been tutor to the court of Lebanon's powerful ruler, Emir Bashir), however his presence and personality shone through and was the basis for success.

Corm was also ‘green’ before that term had been invented. He created the organisation for the Friends of the Trees in 1934 and was involved in the re-forestation of Lebanon.

This success, based on the incredible rise of the powered vehicle, was then used to help create a country and benefit the society in which he was born including a wide range of cultural benefits and recognition for his country, Lebanon.

Finally, Habib Sabet purchase of a “Tin Lizzie” from Charles Corm, was the inspiration and foundation of his business which turned him into a billionaire and one of Iran’s richest men.

Corm’s Ford In front of the Historic Building Corm’s 1st Car brought back from the USA by his sons

of famous Lebanese newspaper L’Orient displayed at the Classic Car Show in Beirut Souks in 2013

Awards Received

During his lifetime, Corm received more than 100 international literary and non-literary awards, including;

Edgar Allan Poe International Poetry Prize 1934

Citizen of Honor of New York City (USA)

Grand Officer of the National Order of the Cedar (Lebanon)

Officer of the French Poets' Society (France)

Medal of Honor of the Académie Française in 1950 (France)

Grand Officer of the Order of Human Merit (Switzerland)

Cross of Academic Honor of the American International Academy (USA)

Grand Officer of the Academic Order (Italy)

Among the books he published include:

- Les Cahiers de l’Enfant - La Montagne Parfumée - L’Eternel Féminin - La Planète Exaltée - Le Mystère de l’Amour - La Symphonie de la Lumière - La Montagne Inspirée

He also contributed to many French, Lebanese, and Egyptian magazines.

The Corm Library archive, consisting of some 40,000 volumes, including the cigarette papers, has still to be fully indexed.

References

Special thanks to Charles Corm sons Dave and Hiram for supplying archives Photos and documents.

Franck Salameh: Charles Corm: An Intellectual Biography of a Twentieth-century Lebanese Young Phoenician (https://tinyurl.com/yasajvcz) – a significant portion of this article is based on this excellent book

Wikipedia: Charles Corm

YouTube interview Franck Salameh https://youtu.be/BVfddMX7pkM

http://fmwww.bc.edu/SL-R/salamehCorm1.pdf

https://archive.aramcoworld.com/issue/197304/they.went.to.the.fair.htm https://peoplepill.com/people/charles-corm/

Examples of Corm’s poetry may be seen here : https://www.poemhunter.com/charles-corm/ https://www.onefineart.com/artists/poets-writers/Charles-Corm