Gutenberg Bible at the Library of Congress

This is one of the 21 complete Gutenberg Bibles still in existence (there are 28 incomplete ones) and is on display in the Library of Congress.


"The Gutenberg Bible is the first great book printed in Western Europe from movable metal type. It is therefore a monument that marks a turning point in the art of bookmaking and consequently in the transition from the Middle Ages to the modern world. Gutenberg’s invention of the mechanical printing press made it possible for the accumulated knowledge of the human race to become the common property of every person who knew how to read—an immense forward step in the emancipation of the human mind.

The printing of the Bible was probably completed late in 1455 at Mainz, Germany. Johann Gutenberg, who lived from about 1400 to about 1468, is generally credited for inventing the process of making uniform and interchangeable metal types and for solving the many problems of finding the right materials and methods for printing."

www.loc.gov/exhibits/bibles/the-gutenberg-bible.html

The Library of Congress in Washington, D.C. is the world's largest library. The Thomas Jefferson Building was contructed between 1890 and 1897 and is one of the the most impressive buildings in that city. For more information about the building, see en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thomas_Jefferson_Building.

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