GUTENBERG BIBLE.

BIBLIA LATINA. [Mounted in:] A Noble Fragment: being a leaf of the Gutenburg Bible, with a bibliographical essay by A. Edward Newton (New York: Gabriel Wells, 1921).

      [Mainz: Printed by Johann Gutenburg and Johann Fust, 1455.] Royal folio (389 x 273 mm.). A single leaf, containing Acts of Apostles VII:35–VIII:37, double column, 42 lines per column, rubricated in red and blue (headlines in alternating red and blue lombard letters, chapter initial in red with numerals alternating in red and blue, red capital strokes). A Noble Fragment consists of title printed in red and black + 2 unnumbered leaves + 3 blank leaves. Early 20th century dark blue morocco by Stikeman & Co. of New York, ruled in gilt and blind, lettered in gilt. A single paper leaf from the first substantial book printed with movable type in the western world, now known simply as the Gutenburg Bible or the 42-line Bible. It is the first and, judging it by the quality of its design and materials, the greatest of all printed books. It consists of 641 leaves, and was printed in an edition of probably 35 copies on vellum and 150 on paper, of which 48 complete or nearly complete copies are extant, 12 on vellum and 36 on paper. It initiated the ability to disseminate and store knowledge and literature as never before, by a method still unsurpassed. The Noble Fragment originated with an imperfect copy of the Gutenburg Bible which was divided by Gabriel Wells, a New York book dealer, and dispersed as single leaves or larger fragments, the individual leaves mostly accompanied by A. Edward Newton’s essay, as here. The copy had previously formed part of the collection of Maria von Sulzbach (1721–1794, wife of Carl Theodore, Electoral Prince of the Palatinate and subsequently Electoral Prince of Bavaria); thence the Hofbibliothek at Mannheim; the Royal Library at Munich (sold as a duplicate in 1832); and Robert Curzon, Baron Zouche (1810–1873) and his descendants. It was sold at auction in 1920 (Sotheby’s, 9th November, lot 70) to Joseph Sabin, who in turn sold it to Wells. BMC I, 17 (IC. 55). GW 4201. Goff B-526. See PMM 1, etc.