Square, wooden printing block. The plate ha the etched image of a crowned two headed eagle bordered by a a band of repeated, intertwining floral designs. Not only are both of the Eagle's heads crowned there is also a large crown between the two heads. There is a crumbling piece of paper attached to the back.

Donated by John Damianos. The printing block was used in a linotype printing machine. Linotype presses allowed for the casting of entire lines to be printed at a time. Linotype printing was eventually succeeded by lithograph printing and computer typesetting during the 1960's and 1970's. This printing block was used by the Chicago-based, Greek Art Printing Company that was owned and operated by Aristotle Damianos. The Greek Art Printing Company was responsible for the printing of a wide range of materials, including wedding invitations, invoices, flyers, programs, letterhead, etc., for Greek businesses, organizations, institutions, and individuals in the Chicago area, and elsewhere.

The image of a double headed eagle has its origins in the Byzantine Empire but has come to be a symbol for political and religious institutions across Europe although it is mostly concentrated in regions of Eastern Orthodoxy.

The content on this site is made available for research and education purposes only. The use of these materials may be restricted by law or the donor.

Any other use, such as exhibition, publication, or commercial use, is not allowed except by written permission in accordance with the NHM Image Rights and Reproduction Policy.

For questions on image rights and reproduction, please contact [email protected]