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What did Gutenberg invent?

What did Gutenberg invent?

Lecture by Devin Fitzgerald

Given at the Harry Ransom Center on December 10, 2020

Overview: 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.

Devin Fitzgerald is an Associate Research Fellow at Yale University. His research focuses on global book cultures and intercultural encounters.

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Top Image: Gutenberg Bible in Beinecke Library – photo by Adam Jones / Wikimedia Commons

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