Guttenberg Museum - Saturday, March 7, 2009

We started out in winter coats, umbrellas ('cause it was raining in Bad Homburg), and wondering if we should stay home, but the farther we went, the more beautiful the weather, and the day turned out perfect. The Senior couples had a wonderful morning in Mainz, where we visited the Guttenberg Museum, learned some great history lessons, and then people-watched and church-visited!!

So, here's the front of the museum, a really beautiful building! I'm not sure what all goes on in the building itself, but our tour actually took place in another building behind this one, the basement of which housed the actual printing presses, etc. The upper floors housed incredible historical artifacts, pages from original Bibles, tools used, etc. We learned that it took a monk three years to copy a Bible by hand, and with Guttenberg's new press, he printed 180 Bibles in three years, so about 60 a year. We also learned that printing was only part of the process. Depending on how wealthy you were, you would then have an artist paint the pages; for example, making the first letter of the word on a page in beautiful calligraphy and decorating the page in various other ways. The more money, the more decoration! I'm excited to get on line and learn more about the process. Our tour was in English, done by a charming woman who spoke English better than we do. Just outside the museum is a "bench" depicting the Bible. Rather interesting!

Here's a page of "letters" ready to be printed, and one of the Elders got to do the mechanics of this and keep the printed page. He was thrilled!

This picture shows a picture of Guttenberg (far right) and his men working. We were told that no picture was made of Guttenberg until a hundred years after his death, so they dressed him in the garb of that era instead of his, and stuck a beard on him, 'cause that was also the style of that era. We learn instead, that Guttenberg was clean-shaven (they joked about how his beard would have become stuck in the press if he had had one), and the clothing was not of his era. Oh, well. I don't suppose he minded.

Here our guide is holding a block of wood where the letters are placed as they form the words and sentences.

And I throw in this picture, 'cause it teaches how we got "upper" and "lower" case. The capital letters were all kept in the top (or upper) cases, and the lower case letters were kept below them. Thus, upper and lower case letters. (Compliments of Bro. Howlett, our resident historian!)

And here's a tired Dad posing at the press for me! Neither of us should have gone on the tour, as we both had to speak in Sacrament the next day, and Dad had to give the Priesthood lesson as well. But we survived the tour and are glad we went!!