Obj. ID: 39059
Jewish printed books Ha-Ach Nafshenu by Avraham Shalom Chai Chamoi, Izmir, 1870
This text was prepared by William Gross:
An interesting book of Segulot, ordered by Aleph-Bet.
Izmir became an important center of Hebrew printing in the Ottoman Empire beginning in the mid-17th century. Its first printing house was founded in 1657 by Avraham b. Yedidya Gabbai, who published in Izmir in two distinct periods, from 1657-1660, and again from 1671-1675. After Gabbai left Izmir, all printing activity in that city ceased for the next fifty years. It was resumed between 1728-1739, and again between 1754-1767, and then lay dormant again for another 60 years.
Only from the mid-19th century onward did Hebrew printing in Izmir continue uninterrupted until 1950. Several printing houses were active by the 1850’s-60’s, including that of the De Segura brothers. This press was founded in 1862 and continued to exist until 1906. More than 106 books and other publications were produced there. The present volume was issued by Yitzhak Shmuel De Segura.