This essay is about the life if Johannes Guttenberg.

Johannes Gutenberg

Imagine a world without books, magazines, or newspapers. Until the 15th Century people had very little imagination. Few people even knew how to read or write because there was no particular need to know how to do either of these things, and those who did had little reading material to choose from at all. Gutenberg is referred to as the father of modern printing because of his accomplishments in the printing press. In this paper I will be talking about Johannes Gutenberg's life, and how he came to set up movable type and a version of the printing press. I will be writing about the trials, accomplishments, and effects his invention had on the world.

Gutenberg was a German Printer, and Pioneer in the use of movable type, he was sometimes identified as the first European to print with hand-set type cast and molds. Although he was not the only person working on the printing press, he was considered to be the main part of it.

Facing pages of a gutenberg bible. Taken by me.

Gutenberg Museum print

Spine of the Lenox copy

Gutenberg's name does not appear on any of the works attributed to him, but historical records have given evidence that he is indeed the on who printed them.

Johannes Gutenberg was born in 1397. He was born into a noble family in the city of Mainz, a mining town, in Southern Germany. His father was Friele Gansfleisch, his mother was Else Wyrich. His early training was as a goldsmith and an inventor. In 1428, he moved to Strasbourg for political reasons. He remained there for over twenty years. It was in Strasbourg that he made his first experiments with movable type.

Gutenberg had the idea of modernizing techniques of metalworking, such as casting, punch-cutting, and stamping, for the mass production of books. Gutenberg became more and more intrigued by these subjects, which...