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Gutenberg's Bible Background Who was Gutenberg? The invention of printing with moveable type in mid-15th- Johann Gutenberg (c.1400–68) was born in Mainz to Friele century Europe is one of the most important developments in Gensfleisch and Else Wyrich, the daughter of a local burgher. the history of western culture and civilization. The printing of a ‘Gutenberg’ comes from the name of the house of his father Text from the Book of Esther, courtesy of The University of Manchester Latin Bible (c.1455) by Johann Gutenberg (c.1400–68) in Mainz, and paternal ancestors. Sometime before 1430, Gutenberg left Germany, from a forme of metal type, marked the beginning of Mainz for Strasbourg due to political strife. There he initiated a process that scarcely changed in its essentials for 400 years. a partnership for the mass production of pilgrim’s souvenirs Approximately five years after the Helmasperger Instrument, using a stamping process. He returned to Mainz by 1448, where, Gutenberg entered into a new partnership with the lawyer Conrad Gutenberg’s great achievement was in bringing together and perfecting in about 1450, entered into a partnership with the wealthy Humery. In 1460, an edition of the Catholicon (a Latin dictionary) the combination of moveable metal type, printing ink, and a wooden Johann Fust, and began the production of a 42-line Latin Bible. was published in Mainz. While Gutenberg’s name is suggested as its screw-press in order to make printing from type – as opposed to The Bible is known today not only for being the first substantial possible printer, there is much debate about whether or not he was through the use of woodcut blocks – possible for the first time in the book printed in Europe using the new technology of moveable actually involved in printing the Catholicon, or anything else for that western world. The chief advantage of the printing press over manuscript type as perfected by Gutenberg, but also for its aesthetic and matter, after the 1450s. In 1465, Gutenberg was granted a pension production was its ability to produce in a short period of time a large technical quality. To gain further revenue, he also did some as a courtier of the prince-archbishop of Mainz, which kept him from number of identical copies of any given work. This led to the rapid jobbing printing of shorter or single-sheet items, such as want. He died three years later in February 1468 and was buried in a dissemination of knowledge, to the forming of new communities of calendars, school books and indulgences, at the same time Franciscan church. Sadly, the church, along with Gutenberg’s grave, learning and scholarship, and eventually to the literate mass culture we the Bible was being printed. were destroyed in the Siege of 1793. Although Gutenberg’s name know today. was little-known after his death, the rediscovery of specimens of his 42-line Bible during the eighteenth century has led to worldwide In the Beginning: admiration and interest in his invention. How many? It is estimated that Gutenberg Gutenberg’s printed 180 copies of the Bible, with around 140 copies printed on paper and another 40 on vellum. Of these, just 48 have Bible survived as partial or complete on view in the copies, along with numerous fragments and single leaves scattered all over the world. Baillieu Library The majority of copies are kept by institutions in Europe, the United Kingdom and the United 18–27 July 2014 States. The nearest bound copy to Australia is the single volume held by Keio University in Tokyo, Japan. The first and only time the Indulgence (Mainz, 1454–5), courtesy of The University of Manchester Gutenberg Bible visited Decorated initial ‘P’ at the opening of Paul’s Epistle to the Romans, courtesy of The University of Manchester Australia until now was as According to a document known as the Helmasperger part of a National Library of By 1501, less than fifty years after printing began, between 29,000 and Instrument (6 November 1455), a lawsuit was brought by Fust Australia exhibition in 2001. In 30,000 editions were produced. Press runs varied based on the amount against Gutenberg for monies owed. The funds were most likely fact, it was the very same copy, of capital invested and market demand. The number of copies printed in instrumental in the development of Gutenberg’s printing press, kindly lent by The University an edition, however, steadily increased from around 175 in the 1450s which was probably modelled after large screw presses used of Manchester’s John Rylands to over 1,000 by the 1490s. No fewer than 280 towns all over Europe for making wine. The court evidently decided in Fust’s favour, Library, presently on display in had seen printing presses installed during this period. A revolution had and it is presumed that Gutenberg was ordered to give up some the Baillieu Library. indeed taken place, one that paved the way to the democratisation of or all of his printing equipment in the verdict (Fust went on knowledge, freedom of expression, and many other values now held to establish a successful printing shop with the partnership’s Illuminated initial ‘O’;opening of the Book of Nahum, dear in Australia, the United Kingdom, and much of the world beyond. leading assistant, the calligrapher Peter Schöffer). courtesy of The University of Manchester Items displayed from Baillieu Special Collections Jacobus Philippus Abraham Lichtstein (ed.). Bergomenis. Ordinis Torat ha-temimah ... Lask, Fratru[m] Eremitarum Diui Poland: [s.n.], c.1828. Augustini, In omnimoda GATE 14 (exit only) TIN ALLEY TIN ALLEY historia nouissime Vocalised text of the Torah BALDWIN GATE 1 BOTANY NORTH EXTENSION SPENCER ELGIN ST congesta, Supplementum printed in Hebrew and Aramaic UNIVERSITY HOUSE PHYSICS cronicaru[m] appellata. with commentary. REDMOND BARR Y NORTH FOOT BRIDGE UNION ROAD Venice: Bernardinum de COURT Benalijs Bergomensem, Johannes Meder. UNION GATE 2 SYSTEM BOTANY UNION LAWN LK 15 December 1486. Quadragesimale de filio GARDEN HOUSE PHYSICS prodigo. Basel: Michael WA ARCHITECTURE SOR’S ELISABETH R One of the few 15th-century Furter, 1495. DEAKIN COURT SPENCER ROAD MURDOCH TE texts to mention Gutenberg and THE INSTITUTE OF LAND AND FOOD RESOURCES NATURAL THEATRE PROFES PHILOSOPHY BABEL the invention of printing. A collection of sermons written Above: Initial ‘R’ at the start of the prologue to Paul’s Epistle to the OLDRomans, PHYSIC Scourtesy of The University HERBARIUM RAYMOND IAN POT MUSEUM OF ART Y for Lent. Each sermon opens of Manchester, Front cover: Decorated initial ‘P’ at the opening of Paul’s Epistle to the Romans, courtesyPRIESTLE Y Illuminated initial ‘P’;opening of the Book of Judges, courtesy of The University of Manchester GRAINGER OG MASSON ROAD GATE 3 Biblia latina. Mainz: Peter with a dialogue between an of MUSEUMThe University of Manchester; Woodcut depicting the city of Mainz from the NurembergUNIVERSITY Chronicle MACFARLAND PEDESTRIAN ENTRY ONLY OLD GATE 13 ZOOL ALL TOURS HALL COURT Schöffer, 23 February 1472. angel and the Prodigal Son. (Nuremberg, 1493), Special Collections, Baillieu Library, The University of STARTMelbourne HERE GEOLOGY OLD SONIA QUAD RICHARD BERRY Provenance of the copy at CHEMISTRY CUS COURT This 1472 Latin Bible is a reprint CHEMISTRY EAST WING of the edition printed a decade OLD GEOLOGY The John Rylands Library SOUTH SECURITY OFFICE earlier by Gutenberg’s former GATE 4 FARADAY STREET Until recently, the earliest information about the copy of the MONASH ROAD partners Johann Fust and Peter Location L Gutenberg Bible held by The John Rylands Library was that GATE 12 GENETICS LANE BAILLIEU S CSHE Schöffer. Ground Floor WILSON HALL ALICE HOY LIBRARY OA it was first described in a catalogue of the marvelous book B SIDNEY Baillieu Library CHEMICAL MYER ASIA TER collection owned by George Spencer, 2nd Earl Spencer [Biblia latina c.1455], Special Collections, Baillieu Library, The University of Melbourne NEUROSCIENCE L Columella, Cato the Elder, ENGINEERING 1 CENTRE C WA The University of Melbourne E THE DAX CENTRE 2 (1758–1834), in 1814. Although the first leaf of the Bible Palladius and Varro. EET R MEDICAL ROAD bears an early ownership inscription, it is heavily erased ROYAL PARADE Victoria 3010 L Scriptores rei rusticae. Psalmi Davidis regis, & A history of the world from ENUE CAR PARK DOUG McDONELL and has always proved impossible to read. However, in Venice: Nicolas Jenson, 1472. prophetae, lingva syriaca Creation to the late 15th-century AV ELECTRICAL AND ELECTRONI ENGINEERING OLD METALLURGY MICROBIOLOGY CHEMICA ENGINEERING 2013, multi-spectral digital imaging of the inscription Viewing hours are 11am MELBOURNE DENTAL SCHOOL AND ROYAL DENTAL HOSPITA OF MELBOURN … Lugduni Batavorum: known for its woodcut illustrations, AND IMMUNOLOGY E BROWNLESS WILSON ERC rendered it legible, revealing the Bible was owned by the A collection of Classical texts Ex typographia Erpeniana, which includes a depiction of BIOMEDICAL to 5pm daily, including CTUR FRANK GATE 11 LIBRARY LIBRARY FA TATE JOHN SMYTH Augustinian friars near Colmar in Alsace, France, located on agriculture; the Baillieu copy Linguarum Orientalium; the city of Mainz, Gutenberg’s weekends. TheJOHN final MEDLEY day is GATE 6 about 274 km south of Mainz. There the copy remained is decorated with an illuminated, prostant apud Iohannem birthplace, and where he HOWARD FLOREY Sunday 27 July 2014 ENGINEERING ARTS SWANSTON ST until 1790, when the monastery was plundered by French white vine initial ‘E’. Maire, & Elzevirios, 1625. established the first printing shop. CENTRE S AND MANU revolutionaries and dissolved the following year. KERNOT ROAD 1888 BUILDING The Holy Bible: containing The Book of Psalms printed in Admission is free MEDICAL BUILDING MECHANIC ENGINEERING These events in Colmar coincided with the newly discovered date all the books of the Old and Syriac and Latin.
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