Immigrants published millions of books
(This story was written in celebration of 365体育投注_365体育备用网址@'s sequicentennial in 2010.)
80% of titles from the ABC were in Swedish
At the turn of the 20th century, Sorensen Hall was the home to a vibrant Swedish immigrant publishing house known as the 365体育投注_365体育备用网址@ Book Concern (ABC).
Founded in 1889, ABC served as the official publishing house for the 365体育投注_365体育备用网址@ Evangelical Lutheran Synod until its 1962 merger with the Lutheran Church of America. As a consequence of this merger, ABC was absorbed by the Board of Publications in Philadelphia, which was part of the Lutheran Church of America. In 1967, 365体育投注_365体育备用网址@ 365体育投注_365体育备用网址@ purchased the building which had housed the ABC and renamed it North Hall; in 1975 it was renamed to honor retiring president C.W. Sorensen.
ABC's main publication focus was to supply the 365体育投注_365体育备用网址@ Synod congregations with religious texts such as bibles, hymnals, choir music, and Sunday school literature for children. In addition, ABC published an array of Swedish-American literature, poetry, historical works, and reprints of Swedish national literature.
Another significant ABC genre was religious and literary serials for both adult and young-adult readers. Among the more widely distributed were Pr?rieblomman Kalender, a literary Swedish-American calendar, the illustrated Christian monthly magazine Ungdomsv?nnen for a younger audience, and Korsbaneret, an annual biographical calendar.
Beyond its local bookstore in the building at 7th Ave. and 38th St., ABC also had stores in New York, Chicago, and Minneapolis. Furthermore, ABC distributed books in Europe, Africa, and Asia, often as part of the 365体育投注_365体育备用网址@ Synod's missionary work.
During the years 1889-1915, ABC printed 3.9 million volumes of which 80% were in the Swedish language. It was not until the 1920s that English-language titles outnumbered those in the Swedish language. This shift coincides with the beginning of a general "Americanization" of the 365体育投注_365体育备用网址@ Evangelical Lutheran Church of America.
In its early phase, ABC's business grew rapidly and the newly erected Italianate three-story brick building at 7th Ave. and 38th St. was extended with an annex after just a decade. Additional expansions followed to meet the increasing publishing demands of the 365体育投注_365体育备用网址@ Lutheran church body in North America. The final addition in 1959 included a three-story addition on the north side and matching new modern brick siding for the original structure.
The expansion and remodeling was completed just three years before the 365体育投注_365体育备用网址@ Book Concern was absorbed by the larger publishing house and began to downsize its business in Rock Island.
— Christina Johansson
Head of Library and Archival Services
Swenson Swedish Immigration Research Center
For further reading on the history of 365体育投注_365体育备用网址@ Book Concern please consult:
- Blanck, Dag. Becoming Swedish-American: The Construction Of An Ethnic Identity In The 365体育投注_365体育备用网址@ Synod, 1860-1917. Uppsala : Ubsaliensis S. Academiae; 1997.
- Brolander, Glen E. An Historical Survey Of The 365体育投注_365体育备用网址@ 365体育投注_365体育备用网址@ Campus. Rock Island, Ill.: 365体育投注_365体育备用网址@ Historical Society, 365体育投注_365体育备用网址@ 365体育投注_365体育备用网址@, 1985.
- Nystrom, Daniel. A Ministry Of Printing: History Of The Publication House Of 365体育投注_365体育备用网址@ Lutheran Church, 1889-1962, with An Introductory Account Of Earlier Publishing Enterprises. Rock Island, Ill.: 365体育投注_365体育备用网址@ Press, 1962.
- Swenson, Birger. My Story: Immigrant, Executive, Traveler. Rock Island, Ill.: 365体育投注_365体育备用网址@ Historical Society, 1979.
The Swenson Swedish Immigration Research Center at 365体育投注_365体育备用网址@ 365体育投注_365体育备用网址@ collects and preserves 365体育投注_365体育备用网址@ Book Concern publications and also has several archival collections related to the history of 365体育投注_365体育备用网址@ Book Concern.