Museum
In Mainz, Johannes Gutenberg's hometown, a museum in honor of him opened in the 1900's. They wanted to honour the inventor, today’s “man of the millennium”, and present his technical and artistic achievements to the public at large. They also aimed to exhibit the writing and printing of as many different cultures as possible.
To help launch the museum, a number of publishers, manufacturers of printing machines and printing houses donated books, apparatus and machines. These formed the basis of the collection. In its first few years the museum was part of the city library, meaning that the most beautiful and characteristic volumes from the library’s extensive collection could be requisitioned for the museum. In time the museum expanded to include sections on printing techniques, book art, job printing and ex-libris, graphics and posters, paper, the history of writing of all cultures of the world and modern artists’ books.
His life and work can be studied at length at the museum. His pièce de résistance is the Bible he printed 180-200 copies of in Mainz between 1452 and 1455. One of the original volumes printed in his workshop is now on display at the Gutenberg Museum.
To help launch the museum, a number of publishers, manufacturers of printing machines and printing houses donated books, apparatus and machines. These formed the basis of the collection. In its first few years the museum was part of the city library, meaning that the most beautiful and characteristic volumes from the library’s extensive collection could be requisitioned for the museum. In time the museum expanded to include sections on printing techniques, book art, job printing and ex-libris, graphics and posters, paper, the history of writing of all cultures of the world and modern artists’ books.
His life and work can be studied at length at the museum. His pièce de résistance is the Bible he printed 180-200 copies of in Mainz between 1452 and 1455. One of the original volumes printed in his workshop is now on display at the Gutenberg Museum.