Collection Connections: What did Gutenberg invent?

The Gutenberg Bible, famous as the first major book printed using moveable type in Europe, is one of the most recognizable objects at the Ransom Center. But what exactly did Gutenberg invent, and what was it good for? In our next virtual conversation across collections, we will explore the early history of printing by putting the Center’s Gutenberg Bible in conversation with a remarkable book in the UCLA Library Special Collections: a 16th-century volume printed in China that reproduces an 11th-century pharmacology treatise.

This program will be live-streamed on the Ransom Center Facebook page and YouTube channel:

Image:

Biblia latina, commonly known as the Gutenberg Bible. (Mainz, Germany: Johann Gutenberg and Johann Fust, between 1454 and 1456)