Gutenberg Bible Facsimile
To most of us, mention of the "Gutenberg Revolution" would likely conjure visions of the 1980's, when Hollywood actor Steve Guttenberg ran off a string of hit movies like Police Academy, Three Men and a Baby, and the inestimable Don't Tell Her It's Me. Though this misunderstanding is certainly forgivable, the actual Gutenberg Revolution began in 1450's Mainz (present day Germany), when a man named Johannes Gutenberg used the new technology of moveable type to create copies of the Latin Vulgate Bible. Each bible was hand-illuminated with full-color images and intricate decorations. Despite being the force behind this world-altering development, very little is known about Johannes Gutenberg. We do not know his birthdate, if he had a family, or when he died. In addition, no one really knows how many copies of the Bible he produced, though evidence suggests that he likely produced about 180 copies. This was at a time when there were only roughly 30,000 books in all of Europe (history.com).
Of the estimated 180 copies printed by Gutenberg, only 47 of the Bibles have survived. An original printed Gutenberg Bible would be quite expensive to purchase today, as experts say that one would likely sell for about 35 million dollars at auction.
Among the rare books in the USM Special Collections is a facsimile of the Gutenberg Bible. The facsimile copy was the first Gutenberg facsimile ever printed in the United States, and only the second in the world. According to the catalog notes, this reproduction derives from the Insel Verlag edition, based on the copy in the Koniglichen Bibliothek in Berlin and the copy in the Standischen Landesbibliothek in Fulda, considered by authorities to be the most beautifully illuminated of the 47 copies known to exist. The facsimile held in Special Collections is number 218 of 1000 numbered sets.
For more information about this item, contact Andrew Rhodes at .
Resources Consulted
Text by Andrew Rhodes, Special Collections Specialist.