Earlier this week I was asked to bring our copy (single leaf) of the 1460
Catholicon (third book printed on Gutenberg's press) to show-and-tell at our
Middle Ages history class.    Normally my short presentation centers on the
impact of Gutenburg, movable type, the ink studies showing it is not
Gutenberg's ink configuration though it is his typeface/press, etc.

Instead I began my presentation that on Saturday, Apple Computers had sold
300,000 IPADS (at this point the professor, told me later, I'd lost her!).
I followed up with asking why the IPAD is in the shape it is.   Why is the
Kindle?
Then I showed the leaf and talked about how its size is known as folio, that
Gutenberg had to make/acquire his own "paper," that is was from cloth, the
width mirroring the size of most scrolls which were on foot-long rods, and
perhaps determined by the "baking ovens" or trays to dry paper on.   I had
some blank sheets with me and I folded them and showed how you could print
eight pages, fold them into a signature that becomes the basis for the book,
the book size, and the Kindle.   I then mentioned the introduction of wood
pulp as a paper medium and how it was discovered that it could be
manipulated into various kinds of paper, including soft, fluffy stock and I
took a small toilet paper roll from my pocket.

Oh, I also did mention within the talk, Gutenberg, the ink, impact, etc.
But I had the satisfaction of knowing that for the rest of the day, these 70
students would not be able to ... uh ... use the facilities without thinking
about Gutenberg, paper, Kindles, and IPADS!

Some days are REALLY good days!   :D

Dean

-- 
Dean DeBolt, University Librarian
Special Collections
University of West Florida Library
11000 University Parkway
Pensacola, FL  32514-5750
[log in to unmask];   850-474-2213

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