ESOTERIC

A man built a machine
that turned
paper to gold,
sparking revolutions
of science,
of religion,
of thought,
dragging the world
from Dark Ages to Now,
until Gutenberg lost
his printing press
to venture capitalists.

Musings

In 1997, Time Magazine named the Gutenberg Press the most influential invention of the 2nd Millennium, a period that also included the lightbulb, the automobile, mobile phones, and Teddy Ruxpin. By replacing a scriptorium of dedicated scribes with a (relatively) simple device, Gutenberg's printing press democratized publishing, spread knowledge, and sparked the Reformation, Renaissance, and Industrial Revolution.

If you were to find a complete Gutenberg Bible in your attic today, you'd already need to be a millionaire to afford its preservation, protection, and insurance. No one knows exactly how much one of these books might sell for, as its been decades since one came up for auction. Gutenberg Bibles are so rare and so concentrated into institutional collections that another one might not be sold again in our lifetimes.

To start his print shop in 1452, Gutenberg secured two rounds of seed funding from his backer, Johann Fust. As a condition for the financing, Gutenberg employed Fust's son-in-law, Peter Schöffer, and instructed Schöffer in running the revolutionary press.

The famed Gutenberg Bibles were published in 1455, and the world changed forever.

In 1456, Fust demanded the immediate return of his investment with interest. When Gutenberg couldn't raise the funds, Fust foreclosed on his mortgage, bankrupting the innovative printer.

Gutenberg's former print shop continued under the name of Fust & Schöffer. In 1457, F&S published the Mainz Psalter, the second major book produced by moveable type in Europe. Its colophon praises Johann Fust and Peter Schöffer for their revolutionary new printing process while providing no credit to Johannes Gutenberg.

Between 1461 and 1462 a war broke out over the Electorate of Mainz, the territory where the print shop was located. The victor, Adolph of Nassau, a fan of Gutenberg's bibles, gave Gutenberg a title and stipend, and made sure he received due recognition for his invention.

The story has a happy ending for Gutenberg, but if the battle had gone the other way, and Diether of Isenberg had come to power in Mainz instead, the most influential inventor of the 2nd Millennium might have died in poverty and obscurity.

More Tomorrow.