In conjunction with the Texas Book Festival, Texas’s own Gutenberg Bible will
be exhibited in the Seal Court of the Capitol Extension (second level) on
Saturday (9am-5pm) and Sunday (11am-5pm). Printed on a press using movable
type in Mainz, Germany around 1450, the Gutenberg Bible is considered the first
printed book. Because the invention of the printing press suddenly made
knowledge readily accessible, this first book is credited with changing the
course of Western civilization. On permanent display at UT’s Ransom Center
(21st & Guadalupe), the Texas Gutenberg Bible is one of only five copies
in the U.S. and is bound in two volumes numbering 1,282 pages.

This article appears in November 15 • 1996 and November 15 • 1996 (Cover).

A note to readers: Bold and uncensored, The Austin Chronicle has been Austin’s independent news source for over 40 years, expressing the community’s political and environmental concerns and supporting its active cultural scene. Now more than ever, we need your support to continue supplying Austin with independent, free press. If real news is important to you, please consider making a donation of $5, $10 or whatever you can afford, to help keep our journalism on stands.

SUPPORT US