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Lot 17

The Franciscan Printing Press, Jerusalem – Publications Catalogue, 1910

Catalogo Gerusalemme 1910. Published by Tipografia dei PP. Francescani, [Jerusalem, 1910]. Italian, Arabic, French, and additional languages. Publications catalogue of the Franciscan printing press in Jerusalem, listing over a hundred titles of documents published prior to the First World War: sacred texts, travel guides for pilgrims, literature relating to Palestine, Arabic-language textbooks, and more. Roughly half the catalogue is devoted to Arabic-language texts, and the remainder to works in Italian, Latin, French, Turkish, and other languages. The Franciscan printing press, located in the San Salvador monastery in the Old City of Jerusalem, established in 1847 with the support of the Archbishop of Vienna, is thought to be one of the earliest printing houses in Jerusalem. The machines and printing blocks were specially imported from Vienna, and monks of the Order of St. Francis in Jerusalem were sent to Austria to learn the art of printing. The printing house was renowned for its contribution to the cause of promoting literacy in Jerusalem, thanks in no small measure to the hundreds of Arabic books printed there throughout the 19th and early 20th centuries. [1], 21 pp., approx. 21 cm. Good-fair condition. Stains. Minor creases. Minor tears to edges of several leaves. Rare.