Question

Write short notes on what you know about: a) The Gutenberg Press b) Erasmus’s idea of the printed book c) The Vernacular Press Act

Answer 1

a) Gutenberg Press

• Per hour, 250 sheets on one side could be printed by the Gutenberg press.
• Books could now be produced much faster than was possible, carving a piece of wood by hand was done to prepare each print block.
• Over the next 300 years, it remained the basic print technology. It was known as the moveable type printing machine.
• Metal types for each of the 26 characters of the Roman alphabet were developed by Gutenberg, and to compose different words of the text, a way was devised to move them around.
• In Europe, by the early 15th century to meet the growing demands for a book, a new printing technology was developed.
• This new invention was done by Johann Gutenberg. In the 1430s, he developed the first known printing press. This invention was done in Germany (Strasbourg).
• To design his innovation, Gutenberg adapted existing technology.
• Gutenberg perfected the system by 1448.
• The Bible was the first book printed by Gutenberg.
• It took him 3 years to produce 180 copies of the Bible. This was a fast production during those times.

b) Erasmus’s idea of the printed book

• Erasmus had expressed deep anxiety about Printing.
• He said that even publications lose values because of seditious, irreligious, raving, slanderous, ignorant, stupid books. He said that books have trifling things.
• He said that although books are found in every corner of the world, few books here and there might have knowledge which is worth knowing but the rest of them are hurtful for scholarship, due to the glut it creates.
• Erasmus was a catholic reformer and a Latin Scholar.
• Erasmus kept his distance from Luther.

c) The Vernacular Press Act

• Modelled on the Irish Press Laws, the Vernacular Press Act was passed in 1878.
• The newspaper was warned if the report was judged as seditious.
• The printing machinery was confiscated and the press was liable to be seized if the warning given to the press was ignored.
• In different provinces, vernacular newspapers were published, and the British government kept regular track of them.
• The new Vernacular Press Act provided the government with extensive rights to censor editorials and reports in the vernacular press.