The İzmir Armenian »Coffee House« library and reading hall, 1903

Beschreibung

ՏԵՂԵԿԱԳԻՐ ՀԱՅ ԸՆԹԵՐՑԱՏԱՆ ԶՄԻՒՌՆԻՈՅ 1902 [İzmir Armenian Coffee House Report 1902]. January 1st – December 31st. 33rd period. Founded in 1869. İzmir: Marmuryan 1903.

8vo. 14 pages. Letterpress on thin machine paper, bound in contemporary cardboard with original front and rear cover tipped-on boards.

The İzmir Armenian »Coffee House« in 1902, a exceedingly rare annual report.

Contents: Annual report in Armenian language for the year of 1902 of the Smyrna Armenian »Coffee House«, a library with reading hall and the pivotal point of social and cultural life of the large Armenian community in nowadays İzmir around 1900. This cultural centre was founded in 1869 and came to an end during the »Burning of Smyrna«, a great fire kindled by the Greco-Turkish-War that destroyed most of the Armenian and Greek quarters of the city in September 1922. In the wake of this catastrophe most of the Smyrna Armenians (and Greeks) had to flee the town, became victims of atrocities or were deported, Armenian cultural life in Smyrna came to an abrupt end.

he Armenian »Coffee House«, closely connected to the Mesropian college, a leading Armenian educational institution of the town, consisted of a library with reading hall and lending service, offering books, magazines and newspapers (Armenian, English, French, Italian and Ottoman Turkish) to their readers. The report states that around 20.000 users frequented the premises in 1902. Attached is a list of donators of books and funds, as well as a list of subscribers to the services. Most of them were wealthy business men of different Armenian communities within the Ottoman Empire. Among many others the list quotes Kerovpe Gulbenkian, a relative of the the world’s richest man in his times, the investor Calouste Gulbenkian.

Condition: Binding skilfully renewed by using big fragments of the original front and rear cover tipped-on brown cardboards, some leaves with tears and slightly water-stained at margins, last leave repaired with acid-free tape at joints, text with some hand-written remarks and underlining, old stamp in Armenian on p. 3, generally a solid copy.

Rarity: Of great rarity. As of April 24th 2022 OCLC/WorldCat, KVK and Google show no copy in worldwide institutional holdings and none at the Armenian National Library in Yerevan (who holds 4 other prints published by Marmuryan however).