Stuff You Should Know Printing press? Big deal!
Oct 8, 2020
Discover the monumental impact of the printing press and Johann Gutenberg's struggles to innovate. Explore how cultural factors limited its adoption in Asia, contrasting it with Europe's explosive growth of printed material. Dive into the groundbreaking techniques of movable type and the labor-intensive methods of early printing. Enjoy playful banter blending math and history, along with thoughtful insights on how the printing revolution transformed communication and society as a whole.
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Printing the Gutenberg Bible
- Printing the Gutenberg Bible was a massive undertaking, with each page printed individually on four to six presses.
- Gutenberg needed significant funding to cover the two-year production period before sales could begin.
Fust's Lawsuit
- Johann Fust invested in Gutenberg's Bible project, loaning him a significant sum.
- Fust later sued Gutenberg, likely due to the project's delays and Gutenberg’s perfectionism, seizing the presses.
Gutenberg's Bible Profits
- Gutenberg printed 180 Bibles, selling for 20-50 goldens each, potentially earning him the equivalent of $10 million today.
- Despite the lawsuit, evidence suggests Gutenberg may not have died a pauper.