Meihua Library

The American Presbyterian Mission Press once held a dominant position in the Western-style Chinese printing and publishing industry for an extended period, contributing significantly to the spread of modern Chinese thought and knowledge. This book primarily delves into original English archives from overseas, examining the eighty-eight-year history of the American Presbyterian Mission Press from 1844 to 1931 through a micro-perspective on people, events, and objects. It covers the transitions of several directors, the evolution of Chinese lead movable type technology, internal management, and relocations. The book provides the first detailed narratives of the lives and personalities of foundational figures of the American Mission Press, such as Couling and J. Edkins, and also brings Chinese craftsmen like Wang Fengjia and Bao Zicai into the research scope. For the first time, it offers a detailed argument on the invention, composition, and origins of the various types of movable type used by the American Presbyterian Mission Press, addressing academic debates and skepticism. It meticulously details for the first time the reasons, processes, and outcomes of the American Presbyterian Mission Press's move to Beijing Road, North Sichuan Road, etc., identifying the internal and external causes of the American Mission Press's shift from prosperity to decline, and correcting the specific time of the American Mission Press's ultimate closure. The book also introduces for the first time how the author became connected with the archives of the American Presbyterian Mission Press and how to search for and utilize archives for research related to the history of printing.