Gutenberg’s printing press
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The start of Genesis in the Gutenberg Bible, about 1455 · Original by Johannes Gutenberg (printer), Scan by Jossi · Public domain · Source page
The story
Johannes Gutenberg combined metal letters that could be rearranged, oil-based ink and a press adapted from wine making. Around 1455 he printed about 180 copies of the Bible.
What happened next
Books stopped being rare objects copied by hand. Within 50 years presses across Europe had printed millions of books, and ideas spread faster than any ruler could stop them.
Remember
- Around 49 Gutenberg Bibles survive today
- Movable type had been invented earlier in China and Korea
- Printing helped spread the Protestant Reformation
Review question
What made Gutenberg’s press so important in Europe?
Answer: Reusable movable metal type. Letters could be set, printed, and rearranged for the next page, so books became fast and cheap to make.
Image credits
- The start of Genesis in the Gutenberg Bible, about 1455 · Original by Johannes Gutenberg (printer), Scan by Jossi · Public domain · Source page
