Teotig: The First Historian Of Armenian Printing

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Teotig: The First Historian Of Armenian Printing

09-01-2012, 05:02 AM

TEOTIG: THE FIRST HISTORIAN OF ARMENIAN PRINTING

http://www.armenianweekly.com/2012/08/31/teotig/

Posted by Vartan Matiossian on August 31, 2012

Special Issue: Celebrating 500 Years of Armenian Printing
The Armenian Weekly, Sept. 1, 2012
(Download article in PDF)

The name Teotig meant little to the English reader until the recent
publication of volume II of Rita Soulahian Kuyumdjian's Trilogy -
April 24, 1915, which includes Teotig's biography and Soulahian
Kuyumdjian's translation of Monument to April 11, Teotig's compilation
of biographies of intellectuals who were victims of the Genocide.

Teotig 1905 175x300 Teotig: The First Historian of Armenian Printing

Teotig in 1905

Himself a survivor, Teotig (Teotoros Lapjinjian, 1873-1928) was
a prolific editor, author, and publisher. A native of Scutari
(Constantinople), he started his literary career in the late
1890's. His name has become synonymous with his almanac, Amenun
Daretsuytse ("Everyone's Almanac"; 1907-29), an encyclopedic
undertaking of well over 10,000 pages, which today stands as an
inexhaustible reference for anyone interested in Armenian life in
the first quarter of the 20th century.

Teotig was assisted in his enterprise by his British-educated wife,
Arshaguhi Teotig (1875-1921)--herself a writer and educator--until
her untimely death. He fled from Constantinople in 1922 on the eve
of its occupation by the army of Mustafa Kemal. He lived a wandering
life for the next six years, in Corfu, Nicosia, and Paris, with the
last yearbooks being printed in Venice, Vienna, and Paris. He passed
away in May 1928 in Paris, when the 18th volume of his yearbooks (his
"paper children," as he called them) was in press. His son Vahakn
Teotig died in the United States sometime in the 1960's.

The yearbook contains a huge array of diverse material, ranging
from poetry and fiction to scholarship and yearly chronicles and
obituaries. It has become a classic, both because of its well-crafted
editions, profusely illustrated, and its extensive contents, which
included, in addition to Teotig's enormous output, contributions by
many writers and scholars of the time--from poets Taniel Varoujan and
Vahan Tekeyan to women writers Zabel Essayan and Shushanik Kurghinian,
to historians Arshag Alboyadjian and Garabed Basmadjian.

Among Teotig's many published and unpublished works--one of them,
Koghkota hay hokevoraganutian ("The Golgotha of the Armenian Clergy"),
was painstakingly edited by Ara Kalaydjian, recently deceased,
and first published in 1985 by St. Vartan Press in New York--his
lavish Dib u darr ("Type and Letter"), published in 1912 by V. and
H. Nersessian Press in Constantinople on the 400th anniversary of
Armenian printing, stands out. It is an outline of the history of
Armenian printing since the beginnings, and until his time. After
an introduction of the history of printing since Gutenberg's time,
Teotig also surveyed, for the first time, Armenian books published
all around the world, from Turkey (and Western Armenia) and Russia
(and Eastern Armenia) to Asia, Europe, and the New World. He gleaned
information from various reference sources, as well as his own library,
which contained well over 4,000 volumes.

The rich contents of the book has stood the test of the time as
the product of a single-handed effort by an indefatigable amateur
and connoisseur of Armenian books (he called himself madenamol,
"bibliomaniac") that paved the ground for the next generation of
trained scholars and bibliographers.

On the 500th anniversary of Armenian printing, we offer for the first
time in English a translation of the brief chapter of the book devoted
to Armenian printing in the United States (pp. 186-8), enriched with
some footnotes (the title is ours). Despite its shortcomings, it is
a pioneering and neglected source for the study of Armenian-American
culture, written at a time when the East Coast, particularly New York,
was the hub of Armenian-American life (a position that has been mostly
ceded to the West Coast in the past four decades). It is a memory
of a bygone time when printing in Armenian flourished in the area,
before the period of major expansion between both World Wars. Today,
a few generations later, some relics of that time (books, newspapers,
and journals) have been painstakingly gathered, albeit not completely,
in the main Armenian and non-Armenian research libraries of the
area. Some may also turn up in church or club libraries, private
collections, or even basements and attics.

This translation may also serve as a timely reminder. In
the last decade, the name of Teotig experienced a rebirth
among Armenian-language readers in the diaspora (despite their
dwindling numbers) because of the enterprising spirit of publisher
Matig Eblighatian from Aleppo (Syria), the owner of the Armenian
bookstore-press "Cilicia." The first 15 volumes of Teotig's Amenun
taretsuytse (up to the 1925 issue) have already been reprinted since
2007 in careful photographic editions that also include much-needed
indexes, patiently prepared by another intellectual from Aleppo,
Levon Sharoyan. The reprint is sponsored by the Calouste Gulbenkian
Foundation.

In 2006, Eblighatian had reprinted Teotig's landmark Dib u darr,
again with the sponsorship of the Gulbenkian Foundation. I have used
this second photographic reprint for the translation (see below),
as a testament to the cultural renaissance that the Syrian-Armenian
community experienced over the past two decades, in these critical days
when both our brothers and sisters in Syria, former Syrian-Armenians
scattered around the world, and any concerned Armenian anxiously follow
the developments of a country practically engulfed in a civil war.

***

Armenian Printing in America (1857-1912) By Teotig Translated and
edited by Vartan Matiossian

New York

The first Armenian to set foot in this populous metropolis of the
United States was a teenager called Khachadour Vosganian, who arrived
in 1834 to pursue higher education. Back in Constantinople, he had
published the newspaper ԱզդաO~@աO~@ ԲոO~Bզանդեան (Aztarar
Puzantian,1 "Byzantine Monitor," 1840). Following his steps, many
Armenians immigrated to the New World to study in the universities.

The Protestant missions--just like they did in Calcutta, London,
Malta, Smyrna, and Constantinople--established Armenian typography in
the land discovered by Columbus to promote the Bible among Armenians
too, particularly with publications in modern Armenian. In this way,
half a century ago, Armenian-smelted letters entered New York, and
the following two printing houses were established:

1. Bible Society (ԱստոO~BածաշոO~Bնչ�"
ԸնկեO~@ոO~Bթ�"O~Bն): It printed ԱպաշխաO~@աO~AոյO~A
(Atlas of the Repentant) in 1857 (first printing, Smyrna, 1839); the
Ancient and the New Testament altogether in 1859 (second printing in
New York, 1867); the New Testament in 1862 (reprinted in 1864, 1866,
and 1867); the Book of Psalms in 1864; and the Gospel of St. Mark in
1868 (in modern Armenian).

2. Book Society of America (ԱմեO~@�"գայ�" �~OետO~@ակ�"
ԸնկեO~@ոO~Bթ�"O~Bն): It published �~@աO~BաO~DոO~Bմն
վկայոO~BթեանO~A �~M. ԳO~@ոO~A (Collection of Testimonies
of the Holy Scriptures, first printed twice in Smyrna in 1849
and 1852) twice, in 1860 and 1879; �"O~@�"ստոնէական
վաO~@դապետոO~Bթ�"O~Bն (Christian Doctrine, 1862);
�"O~@�"ստ�"անոս�"ն եO~B �"O~@�"ստ�"նէ�"ն
ճամբոO~@դոO~Bթ�"O~Bնը (The Journey of Christian
and Christine, first printed in Smyrna, 1843);2 Առա�"�"ն
դասագ�"O~@O~D մանկանO~A (First Textbook for Children, 1869);
ԱO~BետաO~@անական O~DաO~@ոզնեO~@ (Evangelical Sermons);
advices related to natural health; �~M�"O~@ոյ խO~@ատնեO~@
�~Oաճկաստան�" O~DO~@�"ստոնեայ կն�"կնեO~@ոO~Bն
համաO~@ (Love Advice for Christian Women in Turkey), authored
by teacher M. E. West, in fluent modern Armenian, a respectable
book of morals, large fonts, 230 pages (1874); �"O~@�"սթ�"ան
թալ�"մաթ�" (Christian Teaching, 1877);3 and Բանալ�" �~M
Գ�"O~@O~Dը բանալոO~B կամ դ�"O~BO~@�"ն դասեO~@ (Key
to Open the Holy Bible or Easy Lessons, 1879; second printing, 1886).

The number of Armenian-Americans continued to grow year after year.

Following, especially, the Armenian massacres of 1895-1896 in the
Ottoman Empire, a big wave rushed to the New World to ensure their
life, property, and honor. Naturally, that wandering mass included
representatives of the various revolutionary parties that had already
started elsewhere the task of Armenian liberation, and would have
their organs in various cities in America.

Before the emigration of the 1890's, Haigag Eginian opened a print
shop in Jersey City and published the paper ԱO~@եգակ (Arekag,
"Sun," 1888), the first in Armenian-American journalism. In 1889,
he published �~MոO~BO~@հանդակ (Surhantag, "Messenger"), which
a year later changed its name and became ԱզատոO~Bթ�"O~Bն
(Azadutiun, "Liberty"), resuming publication, after a brief pause,
until 1892. Eginian's print shop also printed the newspapers �~@այO~D
(Haik, 1891-98, edited by M. S. Gabrielian), ԵO~CO~@ատ (Yeprad,
1897; edited by B. S.

Shaghayan), and �~O�"գO~@�"ս (Tigris, 1897; edited by Eginian
and Tovmas Charsafjian). There were several mimeographed bulletins
in New York, including ԼոO~Bսնակ (Lusnak, "Little Moon");
Կայծակ (Gaidzag, "Lightning"); �~Gանթ (Shant, "Bolt");
and �~@աO~@ոO~Bած (Harvadz, "Strike").

Among the books printed by Eginian were ԿսկծանO~D, (Sorrow),
vol. 1; Դայլայլ�"կ (Tweeting, 1890); and Լոյս եO~B
խաO~BաO~@ (Light and Darkness, 1891). H. Kaftanian recorded
�~DաO~@զաO~@ան (Gymnasium), published the same year, in his
hand-written catalogue.

"Araratian" Press: From 1891-92, Parnag Ayvadian published the
newspaper ԱO~@աO~@ատ (Ararat), continuing the homonymous paper
published by his father Mateos in Constantinople (1876), which had been
shut down by Turkish authorities. The same press published Բանալ�"
անգլ�"եO~@էն լեզոO~B�" (Key to English Language) in 1892
and ԳO~@պան�" բառաO~@ան (Pocket Dictionary) in 1905.

M. S. Gabrielian: Ayvazian, Gabrielian, Arshaguni, and others were
among the capable doctors well known in New York and famed as public
figures.

Together with his professional career, Gabrielian fervently pursued
Armenian literature. He published the following books from his
own press: ԱO~@ոO~Bեստ ատենախO...սոO~Bթեան (Art
of Public Speech, 1891); ԽO~@�"մեան �~@այO~@�"կ (Khrimian
Hayrig, 1892); ԱտենախO...սոO~Bթ�"O~BնO~D (Speeches, 1893);
Ազգայ�"ն O~DաղաO~DականոO~Bթ�"O~Bն հայոO~A (Armenian
National Policy, 1893); �~@այկական հոգեբանոO~Bթ�"O~Bն
(Armenian Psychology, 1894); �"O~@�"ստոնեայ �~@այաստան
եO~B O~DO~@�"ստոնեայ տէO~@ոO~Bթ�"O~BնO~D (Christian
Armenia and Christian States, 1897, in Armenian and English);4 and
�~@այ O~Aեղը (The Armenian Race, 1911). Beginning on Jan. 1, 1891,
he was the editor of "Haik," which ceased publication on April 1, 1898.

Elias Khalav and Son: They published �~J�"տան�"
գ�"տել�"O~DնեO~@ (Useful Knowledge, 1897);
�"նO~DնոO~BսոO~BO~A�"չ անգլ�"եO~@էն լեզոO~B�"
(Self-Teacher of English Language; they also published the same
in English); and �~DեO~@ վաO~@դագոյն տետO~@ակը (Our
Pink Notebook, 1899), all of which were by Bedros R. Torosian, who
published �~H�~^վ է �~DկO~@տ�"չ �"ոO~@թոO~Bգալեանը (Who
is Mgrdich Portugalian?) in 1912. They also published Առձեռն
ԱմեO~@�"կեան բառաO~@ան անգլ�"եO~@էնէ
հայեO~@էն (English-Armenian American Pocket Dictionary) in 1898.

"Gochnag" Press: The late Herbert M. Allen started the publication
of the newspaper Կոչնակ (Gochnag, "Church Bell") on Dec. 15,
1900. When he was called to the editorship of the newspaper
ԱO~BետաբեO~@ (Avedaper, "Good Messenger") in Constantinople,
Protestant Armenians continued publishing "Gochnag," which in 1912
began linotype printing, the first novelty in the world of Armenian
typography.5

"Yeritasard Hayastan" Press: The newspaper ԵO~@�"տասաO~@դ
�~@այաստան (Yeridasart Hayastan, "Young Armenia") was started
by Stepan Sabah-Gulian in 1903 as the organ of the Social Democratic
Hnchakian Party.6 Its press also published ԳոO~@ծաO~BոO~@
դասակաO~@գը (The Working Class, 1905); �~@աO~Bսէ
(Havse, 1907), ԿաO~@մ�"O~@ O...O~@եO~@ (Red Days, 1909); and
�~MահմանադO~@ոO~Bթ�"O~Bն �~@այ �...առա�"դ�"մական
ԸնկեO~@ոO~Bթեան (Bylaws of the Armenian Progressive
Society). The presses are currently in Providence, R.I.

The presses of the newspaper ԱO~@աO~Dս (Arax, edited by Hovhannes
Hagopian from October 1905 to March 1907) published ԱտO~@պատ
�~DաO~@ասպանտա ԱնդաO~@ձ (Adarbad Mahraspandan: Andarz)
in 1909.7

Arshag Der Mahdesian published the newspaper ԱO~@ծ�"O~B (Ardziv,
"Eagle") in July 1905, which continued until 1908, with an interruption
in 1906. During the last year, the young editor, using his own
resources, published the English monthly "Armenia"--illustrated and
with very fine printing--in New York. The monthly, which previously
(1904) was the organ of the U.S. Hnchakian Committee, featured
translations from well-known Armenian writers.8

The Reorganized Hnchakian Party published the illustrated weekly
ԱO~@ագած (Arakadz) in 1911, with lavish printing and rich
contents. It only printed 20 issues, however, since the press was
burned by a fire.

Boston

The presses of �~@այO~@են�"O~D (Hairenik, "Fatherland"), the
organ of the Armenian Revolutionary Federation (ARF), were founded in
Boston. The Hairenik was first published on May 1, 1899 in New York
by Mr. Charshafjian, who afterwards transferred it to the Hnchakians
and finally to the ARF. The presses of the Hairenik have published
the following books, among many: ԱնդO~@O...ն�"կէ (Andronike);
ԱO~@շալոյս (Dawn); �~DO...սոO~Bն�" եO~B ԶO...O~@�"
աO~@շաO~BանO~DնեO~@ը (The Campaigns of Mosun and Zor);
�...եղաO~Cոխական վ�"պակնեO~@ (Revolutionary Novellas);
�~MահմանադO~@ական կառավաO~@ոO~Bթ�"O~BննեO~@
(Constitutional Governments); Yergaran (Song Book); �~LոO~Bսական
�~MO...O~A�"ալ-�...եղաO~CոխականնեO~@�" ծO~@ագ�"O~@ը
(Program of the Russian Socialist Revolutionaries); �~D�"ոO~Bթեան
խնդ�"O~@ը (The Problem of Unity); �~MO...O~A�"ալ�"զմ
(Socialism); �"մ եղբայO~@ գ�"O~BղաO~A�"�"ն (To My Peasant
Brother); ԵO~@կO~@ագոO~@ծոO~Bթ�"O~Bնը ոO~@պէս ոO~Bղ�"ղ
ճանապաO~@հ (Agriculture as the Right Way, second printing);
�"O~@�"ստոս�" սO...O~A�"ալական ոO~BսմոO~BնO~Dը (The
Social Teachings of Christ); ԿO~@ենգըբ�"լ (Craingeville);9
ԶայO~@ոյթ�" O...O~@ը (Day of Fury); �"զմ�"O~@լեան
աO~DսոO~@ավայO~@�"ն մէ�" (Izmirlian in Exile); ԵO~@ազս
(My Dream); Դէպ�" եO~@կ�"O~@ (Towards the Country, by E.

Agnuni); Այդպէս էO~@ (It Was Like
That); ԿանոնագO~@ոO~Bթ�"O~Bն �~Nան�"
ոO~BսոO~Bմնաս�"O~@աO~A ընկեO~@ոO~Bթեան (Bylaws
of the Philomathic Society of Van); �~GանթեO~@ (Lightnings);
and �~UO~@էնO~D�" եO~B ընկեO~@ոO~Bթեան զոհեO~@էն
(Among the Victims of Law and Society).

Twenty issues of �~Aայն �~@այO~@ենեաO~A (Tsayn Hayreneats,
"Voice of the Fatherland") were published by [Kurken] Chiftjian in New
York.10 Tsayn Hayreneats first moved to Worcester, Mass., and then to
Boston. This newspaper, the organ of the Hnchakian U.S. Committee,
was published until 1906. After the proclamation of the Ottoman
Constitution of 1908, Levon Larents edited it for about two years in
Constantinople. In America, its presses published ԶնտաննեO~@ը
(The Dungeons, 1904); ԳոO~@ծնական կեանO~Dը (The Practical
Life, 1905); and ԼոO~Bծ�"ն տակ (Beneath the Yoke, 1906).

Ազգ (Azk, "Nation," 1907) is the follow-up to Tsayn Haireneats. Its
editor was Suren Bartevian. After the fracture of the Reorganized
Hnchakians, Azk became the organ of the new Democratic Constitutional
party. 11 The presses of Azk published �"տոO~Bթեան O...ճախը
(The Hearth of Corruption, 1908); �~@այդոO~Bկ�"ն աղO...թO~Dը
(The Prayer of the Freedom Fighter); �"ննսոO~BնեO~@եO~D
(Ninety-Three, 1910); and �~DեO~@ բողոO~DնեO~@ն ոO~B
ԴաշնակO~AոO~Bթեան ոO~Bժը անոնO~A հանդէպ (Our
Protests and the Power of the [Armenian Revolutionary] Federation
Against Them, 1911).

The newspaper Լոյս (Luys, "Light") was published by [Mikayel]
Minasian from 1901-06). Its distribution in Turkey was not forbidden
during the old regime because of its educational and agricultural
contents.

The "Pilibosian and Dikranian" Press published Աստղ�"կ (Asdghig)
in 1904 and also �~JատկեO~@ հայ յեղաO~CոխոO~Bթեան
(Image of the Armenian Revolution).

"Atlantian" Press published the following books between
1905 and 1909: �~@այկական ճգնաժամը եO~B
վեO~@ածնոO~Bթ�"O~Bն (The Armenian Crisis and Renaissance);
�~Jատանեկան յոյզեO~@ (Youth Emotions); and ԿO~@թական
սկզբոO~BնO~DնեO~@ եO~B �"տէալնեO~@ (Educational
Principles and Ideals).

I. A. Yeran (Yeran Press) published in recent years ԲառաO~@ան
անգլ�"եO~@էնէ հայեO~@էն (Armenian-English
Dictionary); ԲառաO~@ան անգլ�"եO~@էնէ հայեO~@էն
(English-Armenian Dictionary); �~JատկեO~@ազաO~@դ
զO~@ոO~BO~AատO~@ոO~Bթ�"O~Bն հայեO~@էնէ
անգլ�"եO~@էն (Armenian-English Illustrated Phrase Book);
ԳոO~@ծնական առող�"աբանոO~Bթ�"O~Bն (Practical
Health); �~Mեռայ�"ն առող�"աբանոO~Bթ�"O~Bն (Sexual
Health); and ԺողովO~@դայ�"ն եO~@գաO~@ան (Popular
Song Book).

"Guiliguia" Press belongs to Bishop Mushegh Seropian and has published
ԱմեO~@�"կահայ տաO~@եO~AոյO~A (Armenian-American Yearbook)
and ԲանախO...սոO~Bթ�"O~BննեO~@ (Speeches, 1912).

Other cities

The following newspapers have been published in Fresno:
�"աղաO~DաO~A�" (Kaghakatsi, "Citizen," 1902, edited by
H. Eginian) and ԱսպաO~@էզ (Asbarez, "Arena," published for
the last five years and edited by S. G. Seklemian).12 �~Jահակ
(Bahag, "Guard") has been published since 1912 in Providence by the
Reorganized Hnchakian Party. This newspaper was the first published
in Boston since January 1911, successively edited by Hrach Yervant,
Yervant Mesiayan, and Dr. Arshag Der Margosian.13

Many of the American presses did not have printing machines, and
thus various Armenian books and newspapers were printed by the
foreign presses.

Translator's Notes

1. Given the nature of the article, the transliteration of names is
based on Western Armenian phonetic values.

2. This is the Armenian translation of John Bunyan's The Pilgrim's
Progress.

3. This book was published in Turkish with Armenian characters.

4. The English version is probably included in Rev. A. W.

Williams' Bleeding Armenia: Its History and Horrors under the Curse
of Islam (Chicago: Publishers Union, 1896).

5. "Gochnag" was published in New York until 1968.

6. "Yeridasart Hayastan" was published until the late 1990's (in New
Jersey, in its last years).

7. This is the translation of the wisdom sayings (andarz) of a
4th-century Zoroastrian priest, made by a noted Armenian Iranist,
Harutiun Tiryakian.

8. "Armenia" was continued by "New Armenia" and published until 1929.

9. This is the translation of L'affaire Crainquebille, by French
novelist Anatole France.

[1]0. The first issue of "Tzayn Haireniats" appeared in 1899.

11. The Armenian Democratic Constitutional Party was founded in 1908
in Constantinople and lasted until its merging with the Armenian
Democratic Liberal Party in 1921.

12. "Asbarez" was founded in 1908.

13. "Azk" and "Bahag" became forerunners to "Baikar," the organ of
the Armenian Democratic Liberal Party since 1922.
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