Today In History: Remembering Johannes Gutenberg

"It had long born customary, in the case of books bound in leather, to impress upon the top cover the title of the text with, or the name of its author, by means of brass punches beating the letters of the alphabet applied singly as required, and the possibility of extending this method to reproducing the text itself much surely have  occurred time and again to inquiring minds. The minds were on the right tract, had they fully realized it, but the practical difficulties were of the most formidable, and appear to have discouraged any attempts to overcome them for more than a generation." -- Stanley Morison, Four Centuries of Fine Printing, 1960.

As with so many inventions, why did it all come together with one man, in this case, Johann Gutenberg?

-- Forsdale, L. (1990). Historical Capsule 192. Why Gutenberg

Born in Mainz, Germany around 1400, Johannes Gutenberg was an inventor and craftsman who created the first moveable type printing press, in effect influencing the growth of literature, literacy, and new ideas in Renaissance Europe. Gutenberg applied oil based ink and adjustable molds, from which he produced the first printed version of the Bible, often referred to as the 42-Line Bible, Mazarin Bible, or B42 -- one that was beautifully typeset in Latin, with black lettering, rubrication, and illumination, and also illustrated by hand. 

Gutenberg was the son of patrician Friele Gensfleisch zur Laden and his second wife, Else Wyrich, daughter to a shopkeeper. He lived in Strasbourg in the 1430s-1440s where he experimented with moveable metallic type made from a mold, and where, in 1455, he completed printing 180 copies of the Bible, mostly on paper, but some on vellum. Little has been confirmed of his early education, whether he attended a parish school or was homeschooled; if he matriculated at a university; or ever married. One of the most celebrated inventors due his revolutionary printing processes, no longer executed by hand copying or onto woodblock, Johannes Gutenberg died on February 3rd, 1468, and was believed to buried in Mainz.

The following articles are drawn from Proquest Historical Newspapers, which informs and inspires classroom teaching and learning.

• Carroll, M. J. (1896, Jan 05). Johannes Gutenberg and Ottmar Mergenthaler: The Tewo Great Men in Printing and the Effect of Their Work. Chicago Daily Tribune (1872-1922) 
• Atwater, F. (1926, Jun 20). High Spots in the History of Ink. New York Times (1923-) 
• Forsdale, L. (1990). Historical Capsule 10. One Copy of the Gutenberg 42-Line Bible Required the Skins of 170 Calves. Teachers College Digital Collections.
• Forsdale, L. (1990). Historical Capsule 192. Why Gutenberg. Teachers College Digital Collections.
• Gutenberg's Experiments in Printing Traced Back to 1436 by Latest Finds: Old Law Suit Supplies Key New Picture Prepared. (1937, Feb 02)The Christian Science Monitor (1908-) 
• A Man of Letters. (1940, Feb 14). The Christian Science Monitor (1908-) 
• Rare U.S. Books and Imprints Exhibit Opens: Marks 500th Anniversary of Use of Movable Type in Printing by Gutenberg. (1940, Mar 02). New York Herald Tribune (1926-1962) 
• Dow, I. (1951, Mar 28). Who Invented Printing? The Christian Science Monitor (1908-) 
• 7 New Postage Stamps: Donaldson Approves Issues on Commemorative Subjects.  (1952, Jan 04). New York Times (1923-) 
• Don, C. N. (1962, Jun 17).  Where Words First Took: He Helped Create the Modern World. Chicago Daily Tribune (1923-1963) 
• Reif, R. (1978, Jan 16). It's Gospel Truth: 3 Gutenberg Bibles Are on the Market. Chicago Tribune (1963-1996) 
• Belsie, L.  1999, Oct 28). Technologies That Changed the Way humanity Lives: No One Could Have Predicted, Say Science Historians, How Society Was Transformed by These Discoveries 1455, Germany-- First Printing Press Using Movable Type. The Christian Science Monitor (1908-) 

Tips:

• Biblia Latina, 42 lines. [Mainz] : [Printer of the 42-line Bible (Johann Gutenberg and Peter Schoeffer)], [about 1455]. CU Rare Books. Goff B526
• Curley, R. (2013). Scientists and Inventors of the Renaissance. Britannica Educational Publishing in association with Rosen Educational Services. e-book.
• Green, J. (2011). Printing and Prophecy: Prognostication and Media Change, 1450–1550. University of Michigan Press. e-book.
• Johnson, H. L. (1932). Gutenberg and the Book of Books : With Bibliographical Notes, Reproductions of Specimen Pages and a Listing of Known Copies. W. E. Rudge. Closed Stacks Research — Oversize ; L241.B58 J6 1932
• Morison, S. (1949). Four Centuries of Fine Printing ; Two Hundred and Seventy-Two Examples of Work of Presses Established Between 1465 and 1924 ([Second (revised, octavo) edition].). Farrar, Straus.  Closed Stacks Research ; Z250 .M86 1949
• Willard, N., & Leister, B. (1995). Gutenberg’s Gift. (First edition.). Wild Honey. Juvenile ; PS3573.I444 G87 1995

Images:

• Gutenberg Bible, Image 13 of Volume 1,  Courtesy of Library of Congress Digital Collections.
• Postage Stamp Commemorating Gutenberg, Courtesy of Canva.

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