Rare treasures of early printing to go online in landmark John Rylands Library project
The University of Manchester鈥檚 John Rylands Library is set to unveil the first instalment of its Early European Print collection on 20 June, in a landmark moment which will open up one of the world鈥檚 greatest collections of early European printing to global audiences.
The invention of the printing press in the middle of the 15th century was the beginning of a revolution in information technology. It made possible the mass production of books, which previously had to be laboriously hand-written and were therefore relatively scarce and expensive.
The John Rylands Library Early European Print collection is of fundamental importance for the history of early printing in Europe. Fifty extraordinary items from this collection 鈥� many of which had not even been photographed before, let alone digitised 鈥� will become freely available online for the first time via .
This first release offers unprecedented access to the beginnings of European printing and the dramatic transformation in how knowledge was shared 600 years ago.
Highlights of the collection include:
路&苍产蝉辫;&苍产蝉辫;&苍产蝉辫;&苍产蝉辫;&苍产蝉辫;&苍产蝉辫;&苍产蝉辫; The unique Saint Christopher woodcut, dated 1423 鈥� the oldest known dated example of European printing.
路&苍产蝉辫;&苍产蝉辫;&苍产蝉辫;&苍产蝉辫;&苍产蝉辫;&苍产蝉辫;&苍产蝉辫; The Gutenberg Bible of 1454/55 - the first major book printed in Europe and a masterpiece that revolutionised the book world.
路&苍产蝉辫;&苍产蝉辫;&苍产蝉辫;&苍产蝉辫;&苍产蝉辫;&苍产蝉辫;&苍产蝉辫; The Mainz Psalters of 1457 and 1459 - two of the most beautiful books ever printed, both with handwritten musical notation.
路&苍产蝉辫;&苍产蝉辫;&苍产蝉辫;&苍产蝉辫;&苍产蝉辫;&苍产蝉辫;&苍产蝉辫; Seventeen very rare blockbooks - in which the images and text on each page were printed from a carved block of wood.
These are some of the most significant artefacts in the history of printing - until now, access to these treasures was limited to in-person visits to our library. From 20 June, anyone anywhere in the world will be able to explore them online 鈥� whether you鈥檙e a researcher, student, or simply someone fascinated by the past.
The release forms part of the ongoing Incunabula Cataloguing Project, which will eventually see all of the library's approximately 4000 15th century printed books fully catalogued, of which around 300 of the rarest and most important will be digitised and made available online. While of immense value to scholars of early print culture, the collection is also designed to engage curious members of the public with some of the most beautiful and significant books ever printed.
The Early European Print collection is part of a longstanding commitment by The University of Manchester and the John Rylands Library to share cultural heritage with the widest possible audience through 91直播 Digital Collections.