Illuminated Manuscripts: The Kindles of the Past Essay

Book making was so expensive at the time that a lot of people couldn’t afford to purchase them, but that stopped when a machine called the “printing press” was invented(document B analysis). The printing press made it much easier and cheaper to print multiple copies at a time. So the public wanted more, so they could learn and know more things about the world. Literature was also a really good way to communicate about art and nature (document B).

Before the printing press was established, persons known as “copyists” made a living of drawing or writing different types of manuscript books.

In the beginning of the 1400s, books were all handwritten, and only institutions like churches had them. This made the chance for leaders that had access to books to change or censor some of the vital information withheld in them. However, in 1455, Johann Gutenberg invented the printing press, a machine that made it much easier to spread books and thus, ideas. This changed the entire course of history, making it possible for people to spread these ideas and discover truth for themselves. There are many specific instances of it, but it is hard to see the whole picture. The printing press, one of the most revolutionary inventions in human history, was an integral part of the Reformation during the 1400’s through the 1600’s.

The Han Dynasty, the second imperial dynasty of Ancient China, was prosperous and innovative. The scientific development was extremely advanced for the time, and inventions such as the seismometer, sundial, and wheelbarrow greatly improved Ancient Chinese life (Cartwright “Achievements”, 2017). However, perhaps the most important invention of the Han Dynasty was paper. Paper affected countless areas of Ancient Chinese life by transforming the way information and art were recorded, consumed, and stored. While the origins of paper are unknown, its predecessors were flawed and in need of a replacement.

Hundreds of years ago, monks would laboriously copying bibles for hours a day and scribes would be copying documents over and over again. Before the printing press, all writing and drawings were excruciatingly done by hand by the few people who knew how to write (The Invention of the Printing Press). In the 1300s, there were two ways in which information could be spread: writing and verbal communication. During this time period, it took a very long time for letters to be sent back and forth, so trying to convey important news or information this way was long and difficult. Although verbal communication was a faster method, it was also very tainted and extremely unreliable. Johannes Gutenberg, the inventor of the modern printing press, fixed this problem so that information could be passed more

A legacy is something that has left behind it can be from many different thing such as a will etc. Some of these things can make a big influence without them even knowing so. These things don’t always have to be left behind for example, in 1879 Thomas Edison was able to create a long lasting light bulb, and now we use light bulbs every day, this would make it a legacy because it is carried throughout time

Towering buildings. Looking up at the sky, you see the beautiful sky scrapers in your attractive outlook. The parallel buildings of NYC are almost identical as they have the same frame, but every high-rise has its’ uniqueness in its detail and features. Art and architecture will always be found prevalent in history, as change will consistently manipulate concepts and notions. During the Romanesque time period art focused on praising God and in Illuminated Manuscripts biblical teachings were inscribed with added embellishments and gems. Even though Illuminated Manuscripts have the same frame with the same key components, in order to call it an Illuminated Manuscript, they all illustrate distinct differences in their detail. Modern day America

There are thousands upon thousands of books in libraries spread all around the world. Some of those books are newer than others; some are thicker; some are about history, geography, economics, or engineering. No matter the type of book, it took just a couple hours to print them. It is incredible to think how it is possible to have so many books available for us, and we can have access anytime we want. Although, many centuries ago books were very different from modern books. In fact, the earliest books were written on scrolls. In the Middle Age, books were produced by monks who copied them with pen and ink to study them later. Even a small book with just less than hundred pages could have taken several weeks or maybe months to be completed. A longer book, such as the Bible, could have taken years to copy. This tedious and exhausting process ended in 1444. In 1471 there were about 15 printing presses open. Mainly in the area of Germany because that was where Gutenberg invented the press. Also in the center of Italy because that’s where trade was made and the printing press was used by the pope and the church. [Doc.2] In 1500 over a 100 printing presses were being used mainly in Germany and in the center of Italy.[Doc. 2]

In addition, illuminated manuscripts are of historical significance, as they served to help those whom could read to understand biblical text. Religion played a significant role in education; ”….the spread of literacy in 12th century Europe cannot be separated from religion…” (Engler 13). After the 13th century, secular text began to feature illuminated images. This manuscript in particular saw continued use up until the nineteenth century. This is due to vellum lasting much longer than papyrus which was used originally used for most

The two mentions for this section in the piece are the codex and the scroll. There are many major differences between the two such as; the codex is a more convenient and less space-wasting reading tech. It gives the reader a capability for chapters to be created whereas the scroll cannot provide such amenities. It is pieces of papyrus layers with writing on it with hieroglyphs or other information. These papyrus pieces were pushed between two blocks of wood to preserve them. This sounds much like a book and how a book works. This was the stepping stone to the creation of the book which aided to reading tech. The other tech mention is the scroll. A scroll is when a piece of paper is rolled up with writing on it that can be rolled up with two wooden peg shaped ends to roll the paper together. You would read a scroll vertically as you would open the scroll. This is not like the codex at all. A codex is read the same way as a book would be read. A scroll is a much harder way to read things because it doesn't have much space and you would need many scrolls to make the space available the can be contained within a codex. The difference is so great that the scroll could be considered a lost piece of reading technology, due to the lack of scroll use in the late 20th century and the early 21st

From what I read, bookbinding was created in India. The Hindi scribes began creating pictures, images, or print into palm leaves. The print was mostly religious texts and the Hindi used twines for the binding of the books. There are two board-like structures that protect the inside (which are the palm leaves). They used the two boards as protection of the palm leaves from water, damage, sunlight, and more. This idea began to spread to Middle East.

Back when Mesopotamia, ancient Egypt, and ancient India all traded with each other, it is a possible, unknown factor that the idea of writing may have spread between those civilizations. Mesopotamia was part of the Sumerian culture. Their early writing made a first appearance in 3300 BCE. Writing was created to track property, such as sheep, cattle, or wagon wheels. The usual method of writing involved pressing the point of a sharpened reed into a moist clay tablet. Since the reed made wedge-shaped impressions, the early realistic pictures were increasingly stylized into a combination of strokes and wedges, a system known as cuneiform, Latin for “wedge-shaped”, writing. Mastering this system required years of training and practice

Using no more than ten sentences, write a very focused and concise summary of what you have learned in this class about the SHIFT from late medieval books to the first printed book of Johannes Gutenberg. Focus on how these books were made, when and where. Compare their appearance.Your answer should include references to at least two specific examples from the slide presentations. Use appropriate language.

Chinese writing, lacquer, a substance that gives wood a polished finish and solidifies to form a hard and clear layer begins to be used in practise, with sculptures and pottery being produced. Additionally, animal themes, similar to the patterns used in bronze casting, like the use of the dragon can be seen, which

The invention of moveable type revolutionized the distribution of knowledge. It made it possible to produce several accurate copies of single works. Since the process was very streamlined, many people called the process, “the art of multiplying books”. The process spread through Germany, Italy, France, and Europe. Come to the end of the fifteenth century, many books were being made on machines like Gutenberg’s ("The Gutenberg Bible").