Printing with moveable type had migrated from Mainz to Strasbourg and Bamberg by the year 1460, and to Cologne, Eltville, Augsburg, and Nuremberg by 1470. By the end of the century printing had spread to dozens of towns throughout German-speaking lands. The first known printer beyond the walls of Mainz was Johannes Mentelin (c. 1410–1478), who had printed a Latin Bible at Strasbourg by 1460.

The books in this section of the exhibition include some of the earliest editions from Strasbourg; books with notable marginal illumination from Germany and abroad; copies that provide evidence about their original owners; woodcut illustrations that invited vivid coloring by hand; and two rarities that are the only copies in America.

 

← Click on the thumbnails at left to see larger images and descriptions of the items in the exhibition.