Assyrian Printing in the USA
Subtitle: Ephraim Abraham
Publisher: Atour Publications
Published: 2010
Place of publication: Chicago
Language: syr
Notes: Ephraim Abraham of Dizateka became the proprietor of the ‘National Printing Press’ or ‘Assyrian National Press’ in Chicago in 1930 or 1931. Nineteen items survive from this press which appears to have ceased production in the mid 1930’s. Volume one contains five items: a hymn book, a collection of historical writings and poems and a fragment of a pamphlet on the origin of the Assyrians by Mirza Dawid Malik and a book on theology and a hymnal by Andrew D. Urshan. Volume two contains fourteen items: Luther’s Smaller catechism, religious tracts by George Cutting, Paul David, Jacob Baba and Joel Shabaz, a hymnal, a spelling book by Sargis Benyamin and seven one or two page documents including an announcement for the press and various poems by Mirza Dawid Malik. These volumes are part of a series that aims at preserving Assyrian literature printed in the United States during the era of the letterpress. They were inspired by the bibliographic research of J. F. Coakley who has provided the introductions to the volumes.