Cube-shaped wood and cast lead printing block. The print image is of a phoenix arising from flames. Above the phoenix's head is a star. Below the phoenix, in and inverted arch, is Greek text. Part of the text is illegible, but the part that is legible translates to "rising from ashes."

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. The printing block was used for the printing of letterheads for the Democracy For Greece-Chicago Organization. Democracy For Greece-Chicago Organization was an advocacy group associated with the Illinois Committee for Democracy and Freedom in Greece. These advocacy groups were responsible for raising awareness about the military dictatorship that ruled Greece between 1967 and 1974 among the American public and American policy-makers. The organizations published editorials, newsletters, periodicals and other material to raise awareness of the human rights violations and the suspension of democratic rule under the military junta. The groups also spoke out against the military and financial support the junta recieved from the United States as means of combating the spread of Communism during the Cold War. A coup d'etat was staged under the leadership of Brigadier General Stylianos Pattakos and Colonels George Papadopoulos and Nikolaos Makarezos prior to the 1967 government elections, in which a new liberal government was expected to be elected. During the Regime of the Colonels thousands of Greek political opponents of the junta were arrested, imprisoned, and often tortured. The military dictatorship collapsed in 1974 when attempts of liberal reform divided the leaders of the junta and lead to infighting.

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