The Culture of Print, Part 2 Presentation by Mindy McAdams Week 7.2 / MMC 2265

Elizabeth L. Eisenstein Ph.D. from Radcliff in 1953 Taught history at American University (Washington, D.C.) and the University of Michigan (retired 1988) Recipient of fellowships from the Guggenheim Foundation, Rockefeller Foundation and National Endowment for the Humanities

Ph.D. from Radcliff in 1953

Taught history at American University (Washington, D.C.) and the University of Michigan (retired 1988)

Recipient of fellowships from the Guggenheim Foundation, Rockefeller Foundation and National Endowment for the Humanities

Elizabeth L. Eisenstein 1979: Published The Printing Press as an Agent of Change, a groundbreaking study, two volumes (800+ pages) 1983: Published The Printing Revolution in Early Modern Europe (300 pages)

1979: Published The Printing Press as an Agent of Change, a groundbreaking study, two volumes (800+ pages)

1983: Published The Printing Revolution in Early Modern Europe (300 pages)

Eisenstein’s Focus The effects of printing on: The flow of information Collection of data Retrieval of records The replication of images and symbols How did “the shift from script to print ” affect “diverse institutions, traditions, occupations, and modes of thought and expression that were present in Western Europe during the late 15th century”?

The effects of printing on:

The flow of information

Collection of data

Retrieval of records

The replication of images and symbols

How did “the shift from script to print ” affect “diverse institutions, traditions, occupations, and modes of thought and expression that were present in Western Europe during the late 15th century”?

The transition from copyist’s desk to printer’s workshop “revolutionized all forms of learning.”

Timeline 1452 – Leonardo da Vinci born 1453 – Constantinople falls to Muslim conquerors; Greek scholars flee to Italy 1456 – Gutenberg’s first printed Bibles 1474 – Michelangelo born 1492 – Columbus lands on American shore 1498 – Vasco da Gama sails around the Cape of Good Hope; reaches India 1517 – The Protestant Reformation begins

1452 – Leonardo da Vinci born

1453 – Constantinople falls to Muslim conquerors; Greek scholars flee to Italy

1456 – Gutenberg’s first printed Bibles

1474 – Michelangelo born

1492 – Columbus lands on American shore

1498 – Vasco da Gama sails around the Cape of Good Hope; reaches India

1517 – The Protestant Reformation begins

Incunabula Incunabulum (singular form) means cradle Refers in general to infancy or origin Specifically refers to the books that were printed (using movable type) before 1501 C.E. The British Library has 12,500 incunabula (of about 28,000 known)

Incunabulum (singular form) means cradle

Refers in general to infancy or origin

Specifically refers to the books that were printed (using movable type) before 1501 C.E.

The British Library has 12,500 incunabula (of about 28,000 known)

Printed in Venice, 1501

Two Manuscripts, c. 1400

Contrast and Consider … Huge and diverse selection of texts, both old and new Access to more texts than you had time to read Contradictions among different texts New standardized formats Uniformity that made it easier to cross- reference and compare ideas

Huge and diverse selection of texts, both old and new

Access to more texts than you had time to read

Contradictions among different texts

New standardized formats

Uniformity that made it easier to cross- reference and compare ideas

Typo-“logical” Man? Fact: Printing brought standardization of two kinds: Identical copies of a book Appearance of letters, pages, pictures; also punctuation, spelling, grammar Question: Did standardization of texts influence laws , languages and the way people thought ?

Fact: Printing brought standardization of two kinds:

Identical copies of a book

Appearance of letters, pages, pictures; also punctuation, spelling, grammar

Question: Did standardization of texts influence laws , languages and the way people thought ?

Innovations in Book Format Page numbers Indexes Title page Table of contents Footnotes Cross references Woodcut illustrations Maps & diagrams From Waldseemüller atlas, published 1513

Page numbers

Indexes

Title page

Table of contents

Footnotes

Cross references

Woodcut illustrations

Maps & diagrams

Comparisons to Today Does the Web strip away the standardization of the book and of printing? Do the same questions of credibility and truth arise when we use online sources? Have our methods for seeking information changed?

Does the Web strip away the standardization of the book and of printing?

Do the same questions of credibility and truth arise when we use online sources?

Have our methods for seeking information changed?

Information Overload? Fact: The way books were produced changed (1456 – 1500) Fact: As a result, more books were produced. More copies . More topics . Question: How did this increased access to information affect learning , thinking and perceptions among the literate people of the time?

Fact: The way books were produced changed (1456 – 1500)

Fact: As a result, more books were produced. More copies . More topics .

Question: How did this increased access to information affect learning , thinking and perceptions among the literate people of the time?

A Brief Foray into Ancient Science Aristotle’s physics Ptolemy’s astronomy Galen’s anatomy

A Brief Foray into Ancient Science Andreas Vesalius, in 1543, showed that Galen’s anatomy of the body was more animal than human in some of its aspects Galen’s anatomy 129 – 200 C.E.

A Brief Foray into Ancient Science Ptolemy’s astronomy Copernicus, in 1543, showed that the Earth revolves around the Sun 90 – 168 C.E.

A Brief Foray into Ancient Science Aristotle’s physics Galileo’s observations with a telescope in 1632 indicated that all matter is the same – and follows the same rules 384 – 322 B.C.E.

Comparisons to Today Does the Internet make knowledge and learning available to more people ? Is the distribution of information today spread over a larger geographical area? Has the speed of information transfer increased since 1995?

Does the Internet make knowledge and learning available to more people ?

Is the distribution of information today spread over a larger geographical area?

Has the speed of information transfer increased since 1995?

Printing Was a Business First books printed in English : not Bibles William Caxton, an Englishman living in what is now Belgium, translated a French history of Troy into English He printed it in 1471 Next: The Play of Chess (1474) The Canterbury Tales, by Chaucer (printed about 1476) — originally written about 1390

First books printed in English : not Bibles

William Caxton, an Englishman living in what is now Belgium, translated a French history of Troy into English

He printed it in 1471

Next: The Play of Chess (1474)

The Canterbury Tales, by Chaucer (printed about 1476) — originally written about 1390

Hand Production: Scribal Culture

Transition from Orality In scribal culture, orality still played a large role Texts were often read aloud until at least the 18th century In 384 C.E., St. Augustine commented on the unusualness of Ambrose’s “silent reading” Often, a copyist in a scriptorium was taking dictation from a reader, not actually copying Villagers would hear a traveling reader Priests would announce news from the pulpit

In scribal culture, orality still played a large role

Texts were often read aloud until at least the 18th century

In 384 C.E., St. Augustine commented on the unusualness of Ambrose’s “silent reading”

Often, a copyist in a scriptorium was taking dictation from a reader, not actually copying

Villagers would hear a traveling reader

Priests would announce news from the pulpit

“ When I read aloud, two senses catch the idea: first, I see what I read; second, I hear it, and therefore I can remember it better.” Abraham Lincoln (1809 – 1865) 16th President of the United States

From Stationers to Printers As universities began to flourish in the 1200s, in cities such as Bologna (1088), Paris and Oxford, a need for standardized copies arose “ Exemplars” (an approved copy of a manuscript) were owned by a stationer The exemplar was divided into pieces ( peciae ) Pieces were given to various copyists Stationers paid the copyists for their work and sold the peciae to students

As universities began to flourish in the 1200s, in cities such as Bologna (1088), Paris and Oxford, a need for standardized copies arose

“ Exemplars” (an approved copy of a manuscript) were owned by a stationer

The exemplar was divided into pieces ( peciae )

Pieces were given to various copyists

Stationers paid the copyists for their work and sold the peciae to students

Mass Production: Print Culture Silent reading Standardization Wider reach Increasing literacy Faster diffusion Ability to compare versions

Silent reading

Standardization

Wider reach

Increasing literacy

Faster diffusion

Ability to compare versions

Revolutionary Thinkers Machiavelli (1469–1527): Father of modern political philosophy Nicholas Copernicus (1473–1543): The Earth revolves around the Sun (modern astronomy) Galileo (1564–1642): Telescopes and further discoveries about the cosmos René Descartes (1596–1650): “I think, therefore I am” (modern philosophy)

Machiavelli (1469–1527): Father of modern political philosophy

Nicholas Copernicus (1473–1543): The Earth revolves around the Sun (modern astronomy)

Galileo (1564–1642): Telescopes and further discoveries about the cosmos

René Descartes (1596–1650): “I think, therefore I am” (modern philosophy)

The Culture of Print , Part 2 Presentation by Mindy McAdams University of Florida