Konrad Prószyński  Konrad Prószyński (19 February 1851 – 8 July 1908), pen name , was a Polish writer, editor, author of primers (textbooks), editor-in-chief of "Gazeta Świąteczna" ("Holiday Gazette"); the founder of secret Society for National Education (Towarzystwo Oświaty Narodowej) under foreign Partitions, and the author of well received "Pictorial Literacy" (1879) primer. He was father of a Polish inventor Kazimierz Prószyński. Prószyński began teaching at the age of 23. In the summer of 1874 he set up a study course for illiterate adults around Kałuszyn and Mrozów villages in Masovia. In 1875, he published his first folding poster to be used by students as the on-the-wall primer. It was his first great publishing success, printed in 5,000 copies and sold out in less than a month. It was reprinted again, this time with 15,000 copies in country-wide circulation. He signed his publications with a literary pseudonym (a ray of light). Due to broad popularity of his first educational poster, towards the end of 1875 Prószyński wrote the first of his three most important works: "Primer, Where You Learn to Read in 5 or 8 Weeks" (, 1875); printed in more than a million copies in the next 33 years. It has been described as the first modern elementary primer. Also in 1875, he wrote ("On Father Stanisław Staszic") whose experience inspired him; as well as his next educational volume: "Pierwsza książeczka dla wprawy w czytaniu" ("First Book for Practice in Reading", 1875). On top of that, on May 1, 1875 along with two friends and co-conspirators, Prószyński signed a founding act of the highly secretive (Society for National Education). His publications became a financial downpour for his publisher, but not for Prószyński who received little royalty. He decided to print and distribute his works by himself. In 1878 he formally registered his own publishing company called Konrad Prószyński National Bookstore ().