the culture of print - part 2

The Culture of Print, Part 2The Culture of Print, Part 2

Presentation by Mindy McAdamsPresentation by Mindy McAdamsWeek 7.2 / MMC 2265Week 7.2 / MMC 2265

Elizabeth L. Eisenstein

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

Elizabeth L. Eisenstein1979: Published 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 FocusThe effects of The effects of printingprinting on: on:– The The flowflow of information of information– CollectionCollection of data of data– RetrievalRetrieval of records of records– The replication of The replication of imagesimages and and symbolssymbolsHow did “the How did “the shiftshift from from scriptscript to to printprint” ” affect “diverse institutions, traditions, affect “diverse institutions, traditions, occupations, and modes of thought and occupations, and modes of thought and expression that were present expression that were present in Western in Western EuropeEurope during the late 15th century”? during the late 15th century”?

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

TimelineTimeline

1452 – 1452 – Leonardo da Leonardo da VinciVinci born born1453 – 1453 – ConstantinopleConstantinople falls to Muslim falls to Muslim conquerors; conquerors; Greek Greek scholarsscholars flee to Italy flee to Italy 1456 – Gutenberg’s 1456 – Gutenberg’s first printed Biblesfirst printed Bibles 1474 – 1474 – MichelangeloMichelangelo bornborn

1492 – 1492 – ColumbusColumbus lands on American lands on American shoreshore1498 – 1498 – Vasco da Vasco da GamaGama sails around the sails around the Cape of Good Hope; Cape of Good Hope; reaches Indiareaches India1517 – The 1517 – The Protestant Protestant ReformationReformation begins begins

IncunabulaIncunabulaIncunabulumIncunabulum (singular (singular form) means form) means cradlecradleRefers Refers in generalin general to to infancy or origin infancy or origin Specifically refers to the Specifically refers to the booksbooks that were printed that were printed (using movable type) (using movable type) beforebefore 1501 C.E.1501 C.E.The British Library has The British Library has 12,500 incunabula (of 12,500 incunabula (of about 28,000 known)about 28,000 known)

Printed in Venice, 1501Printed in Venice, 1501

Two Manuscripts, c. 1400Two Manuscripts, c. 1400

Contrast and Consider …Contrast and Consider …

Huge and diverse selection of texts, both Huge and diverse selection of texts, both old and newold and newAccess to more texts than you had time to Access to more texts than you had time to readreadContradictions among different textsContradictions among different textsNew standardized formats New standardized formats Uniformity that made it easier to cross- Uniformity that made it easier to cross- reference and compare ideasreference and compare ideas

Typo-“logical” Man?Typo-“logical” Man?

Fact:Fact: Printing brought Printing brought standardizationstandardization of of two kinds:two kinds:– Identical copies of a bookIdentical copies of a book– Appearance of letters, pages, pictures; also Appearance of letters, pages, pictures; also

punctuation, spelling, grammarpunctuation, spelling, grammar

Question:Question: Did standardization of texts Did standardization of texts influence influence lawslaws, , languageslanguages and the way and the way people people thoughtthought??

Innovations in Book FormatInnovations in Book FormatPage numbersPage numbersIndexesIndexesTitle pageTitle pageTable of contentsTable of contentsFootnotesFootnotesCross referencesCross referencesWoodcut illustrations Woodcut illustrations Maps & diagramsMaps & diagrams From WaldseemüllerFrom Waldseemüller atlas, published 1513

Comparisons to TodayComparisons to Today

Does the Web Does the Web strip awaystrip away the the standardization of the book and of standardization of the book and of printing?printing?Do the same questions of Do the same questions of credibilitycredibility and and truthtruth arise when we use online sources? arise when we use online sources? Have our methods for Have our methods for seekingseeking information changed?information changed?

Information Overload?Information Overload?

Fact:Fact: The way books were produced The way books were produced changed (1456 – 1500)changed (1456 – 1500)Fact:Fact: As a result, As a result, moremore books were books were produced. More produced. More copiescopies. More . More topicstopics..Question:Question: How did this increased access How did this increased access to information affect to information affect learninglearning, , thinkingthinking and and perceptionsperceptions among the literate people of among the literate people of the time?the time?

A Brief Foray into Ancient ScienceA Brief Foray into Ancient Science

Aristotle’s physics

Ptolemy’s astronomy

Galen’s anatomy


Andreas Vesalius, in 1543, showed that Galen’s anatomy of the body was more animal than human in some of its aspects

Galen’s anatomy129 – 200 C.E.


Ptolemy’sastronomy

Copernicus, in 1543, showed that the Earth

revolves around the Sun

90 – 168 C.E.


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 TodayComparisons to Today

Does the Internet make knowledge and Does the Internet make knowledge and learning available to learning available to more peoplemore people??Is the Is the distributiondistribution of information today of information today spread over a larger geographical area?spread over a larger geographical area?Has the Has the speedspeed of information transfer of information transfer increased since 1995?increased since 1995?

Printing Was a BusinessPrinting Was a Business

First books printed in First books printed in EnglishEnglish: : notnot Bibles BiblesWilliam Caxton, an Englishman living in William Caxton, an Englishman living in what is now Belgium, translated a French what is now Belgium, translated a French history of Troyhistory of Troy into into EnglishEnglish He printed it in He printed it in 14711471Next: Next: The Play of ChessThe Play of Chess (1474) (1474)The Canterbury Tales,The Canterbury Tales, by Chaucer (printed by Chaucer (printed about 1476) — originally written about about 1476) — originally written about 13901390

Hand Production: Scribal CultureHand Production: Scribal Culture

Transition from OralityTransition from Orality

In In scribal culture,scribal culture, orality still played a large role orality still played a large roleTexts were often Texts were often read aloudread aloud until at least the until at least the 18th century18th centuryIn 384 C.E., St. Augustine commented on the In 384 C.E., St. Augustine commented on the unusualnessunusualness of Ambrose’s “silent reading” of Ambrose’s “silent reading”Often, a copyist in a scriptorium was Often, a copyist in a scriptorium was taking taking dictationdictation from a reader, not actually copying from a reader, not actually copyingVillagers would Villagers would hearhear a traveling reader a traveling readerPriests would Priests would announceannounce news from the pulpit 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 PrintersFrom Stationers to Printers

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

Mass Production: Print CultureMass Production: Print CultureSilent readingSilent readingStandardizationStandardizationWider reachWider reachIncreasing literacyIncreasing literacyFaster diffusionFaster diffusionAbility to compare Ability to compare versionsversions

Revolutionary ThinkersRevolutionary Thinkers

MachiavelliMachiavelli (1469–1527): Father of (1469–1527): Father of modern political philosophymodern political philosophyNicholas Nicholas CopernicusCopernicus (1473–1543): The (1473–1543): The Earth revolves around the Sun (modern Earth revolves around the Sun (modern astronomy) astronomy) GalileoGalileo (1564–1642): Telescopes and (1564–1642): Telescopes and further discoveries about the cosmosfurther discoveries about the cosmosRené René DescartesDescartes (1596–1650): “I think, (1596–1650): “I think, therefore I am” (modern philosophy)therefore I am” (modern philosophy)

The Culture of Print , Part 2The Culture of Print , Part 2

Presentation by Mindy McAdamsPresentation by Mindy McAdamsUniversity of FloridaUniversity of Florida

the culture of print - part 2

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