The Renaissance and the Birth of Printing THE CULTURAL IMPACT OF PRINTING SPREADS BEYOND GERMANY 1 Leaf from Decretum Gratian 1472 Mainz, Germany Peter Schoeffer (German, c.1425–1503), printer Peter Schoeffer was Johann Gutenberg’ apprentice, and is thought to have been the manager of his printshop in Mainz. Later, he entered into partnership with Johann Fust, Gutenberg’s original financial backer, to found the first successful printing business. This original leaf was printed on vellum by Schoeffer in 1472. It is notable that Schoeffer was the first to print a book in multiple colors (rather than rubricating the text by hand after printing.) The Printing Museum Collection 1995.012.01 2 Leaf from Scriptores astronomici veteres 1499 Venice, Italy Aldus Manutius (Italian, 1449–1515), printer Aldus Manutius established his famous Aldine Press in Venice in 1490. A great scholar as well as a great printer, Aldus published a large number of classical texts, including the first printed editions of works by Plato, Aristotle, Sophocles, and Euripides. One of his innovations was the printing of small books which could be carried in a pocket or saddlebag; another was the invention of Italic type. He is remembered as a master craftsman; one of his books, Colonna’s Hypnerotomachia Poliphili, has been called the most beautiful book ever printed. This leaf is from a collection of Greek and Roman astronomical texts. The Printing Museum Collection 1982.143.01 3 Leaf from De Praeparatione Evangelica of Eusebius Caesariensis 1470 Venice, Italy Nicolas Jenson, (French, 1420–1480), printer Nicolas Jenson, a Frenchman, is said to have learned printing at Mainz, where he was sent by his king, Charles VII. He did not, however, return to print in France, but moved to Venice, where he made a name as a brilliant printer and creator of typefaces. The modern type designer Bruce Rogers wrote that Jenson’s type “appears perhaps in its greatest perfection in his Eusebius of 1470.... I believe it to be at once the most beautiful and the most legible type in the world.” The Printing Museum Collection 1982.084.01 4 Leaf from Polychronicon 1482 Westminster, England William Caxton (English, 1422–1491), printer Printing was introduced to England by William Caxton in 1476. Not only was he the first printer in England, but he was the first to print a book in the English language, using type which he had designed. He is known for printing several great works of English literature, including Geoffrey Chaucer’s The Canterbury Tales. The text of this leaf is from a 14th century chronicle which traces world history from Adam and Eve to the threat of the Black Plague in 1348. On loan from Ann Rogers L1982.022.01 5 Vocabulario or Molina Dictionary 1555 Mexico Franciscan Fray Alonso de Molina (Spanish, c. 1511–1584), author Juan Pablo, printer Juan Pablos, the first printer in the Americas, was a Spanish court printer who accompanied Antonio de Mendoza, the first Viceroy of Mexico, to the New World in 1534. The first book to appear from his press was a Spanish translation of a Latin devotional text, though no copy currently exists; the earliest Mexican book known to have survived dates from 1544. This book is the first edition of the first dictionary to be published in the New World. The Franciscan Fray Alonso de Molina, a linguist as well as a priest, prepared this “vocabulary” of the Spanish and the Nahuatl (or Aztec) tongues. On loan from Marge Lamb L1984.001.01 6 Leaf from William Shakespeare’s Second Folio 1632 London, England Thomas Cotes, (British, died 1641), printer The first published collection of William Shakespeare’s works initially appeared in 1623, seven years after the playwright’s death. Though some of the plays had been published prior to this time, the First Folio is considered more reliable than most other publications, and contains the first appearance of eighteen of the plays. The Second Folio, which appeared nine years afterward, is largely unchanged from the first printing, containing the same thirty-six plays. The leaf on display was taken from a copy damaged in a fire; it contains a scene from King John. The Printing Museum Collection* 1992.112a.01 7 William Warter’s Proverbial Cards [facsimile] Date of original: November 23, 1698 Place of origin: London William Warter (British, 1680–1698; fl.), printer and bookseller Date of facsimile: 1995 Ink on paper Playing cards first appeared in Europe in the 14th century, likely by way of Egypt. By the mid-15th century, woodcuts of cards were printed in quantities comparable to devo- tional materials. This deck of playing cards was first printed by William Warter, a London bookseller, on November 23, 1698 in time for Christmas sales. It contains an assortment of proverbs with accompanying illustrations and would have appealed to customers in London where epigrams, adages, and proverbs were part of the popular culture of the time. It is part of a series of thematic decks with educational, political, or purely amusing content produced by Warter beginning in 1675. The sometimes irreverent ‘Proverbial Cards’ were produced originally by copperplate engraving with the suit marks stenciled at the corners. The expression—“Never look a gift horse in the mouth”— which suggests that when a gift is received, its value should not be scrutinized, remains in relatively common use to this day. Here, Warter’s illustration on the king of hearts depicts a comical, somewhat crude reversal of the old saying. The two of clubs presents the proverb, “All is fish that comes to the net,” which is traditionally taken to mean that one should take advantage of all opportunities that come one’s way. Warter puts Catholic and Protestant clergy in the fishermen’s net, poking a little fun at both Churches. Gift of Le Cygne Rose 1998.022.01.