Tucked away in one of Cairo's downtown streets lies one of the oldest family businesses in the country. Right on the corner of Abdel Khalek Sarwat Street is The Reader's Corner, the framing store where the Armenian Mikaelian brothers warmly greet you at the door. The Reader's Corner opened in 1959 by George Mikaelian, father of the four brothers who are currently in charge of the store. Hratch "Mike Mikaelian, one of the owners, explained that the shop was initially a bookstore but gradually developed its activities. Today, the shop sells works by Egyptian artists and frames designed in-house for both paintings and books. George Mikaelian, as his son explains, had artistic tendencies and was a patron of emerging Egyptian artists in the 60s and 70s when no venues were available for them to exhibit their work. "There was art all over the place, said Mike. Mike's love for the arts - ingrained from the artistic environment he grew up in - was both a passion and a challenge. Two of the Mikaelian brothers who were more familiar with the field, one specializing in fashion design and another in jewelry design, concentrated on the framing trade. As for Mike, he considers himself "the business part of the art. "I have the flair for art but also for getting the work done, he said.Mike joined the business in 1976. Back then, good framers weren't common in Cairo. Since then, Mike and his brothers officially became art and framing consultants, manufacturing and delivering in-house products. The Reader's Corner provides two different kinds of framing, explained Mike. The first type is profile framing where ready-made frames are cut and reassembled to fit the artwork. The Mikaelian brothers took it a step further when they started to customize the frames and design them according to the paintings. This technique is called custom finishing, where the brothers re-manufacture the profiles from scratch and accordingly construct the frame to perfectly match the paintings. The framing process and delivery takes approximately three weeks.Prices vary from one frame to another. Reproductions and engravings can range from LE 50 to LE 200. Mike explained that there are no preset prices as clients usually choose the artwork and then decide on the matching frame. Mike stressed the importance of his relationship with clients and the quality he provides them. Ninety percent of their business comes from word-of-mouth advertising. "The basis of our work is trust, taste and delivery on time, he said. "The uniqueness of the work is very important as well, he added. However he revealed that a large part of their business is dedicated to working with large companies and hotels like Sofitel El Gezirah, which is currently displaying one of their latest works. The Reader's Corner just finished working on a Nile cruise boat, one of Movenpick hotel's projects, where they worked with top interior designers. The four brothers say they cannot see the shop being run by anyone other than family. "Our work involves dedication, passion and attention to detail; it would be difficult to [describe] it as just business, said Mike. Reader's Corner 33, Abdel Khalek Sarwat StreetDowntown,CairoTel: 2392 8801
