Chronological Table on the History of Incunabula


2nd half of 4th century The form of books shifted from scroll to codex. In Europe, Coptic binding came into use.
2nd half of 7th century Celtic manuscripts, The Book of Durrow and The Lindisfarne Gospels were produced.
End of 8th century The Carolingian script started to be used. Around this time, raised band binding came into use.
12th century Paper was first brought to Europe. Around this time, Gothic type began to be used.
c.1455 J. Gutenberg printed the 42-line Bible in Mainz.
c.1460 J. Mentelin started printing in Strassburg.
c.1461 The art of printing was brought to Bamberg.
c.1463 Costeriana began to be printed in The Netherlands.
1465 C. Sweynheym and A. Pannartz used the first movable Roman type to print books in Subiaco.
c.1465 Printing was brought to Cologne.
1467 Printing was brought to Rome and Eltville.
1468 Printing was brought to Augsburg.
c.1468 Printing was brought to Basel.
1469 Printing was brought to Venice.
c.1469 Printing was brought to Nuremberg.
1470 Printing was brought to Paris.
c.1470 Printing was brought to Naples.
1471 Printing was brought to Ferrara, Bologna and Speyer.
c.1471 Printing was brought to Milan and Florence.
1472 Printing was brought to Mantua.
1473 Printing was brought to Ulm, Lyons, Utrecht and Alost.
1474 Printing was brought to Vicenza and Louvain.
1475 Printing was brought to Barcelona and Saragossa.
1476 Printing was brought to England (Westminster).
1477 Printing was brought to Gouda and Deventer.
c.1477 Printing was brought to Zwolle and Seville.
c.1480 Printing was brought to Leipzig.
1481 Printing was brought to Antwerp and Salamanca.
c.1485 Printing was brought to Rouen.
1489 Printing was brought to Lisbon.
1501 Italic type was first used.
1537 Francis I of France issued the Ordinance of Montpellier to ensure the deposit of books published in France.
1640 Germans celebrated the bicentennial of the invention of the art of printing. Mallincrodt's De ortu ac progressu artis typographicae was published.
1688 Beughem's Incunabula typographiae, the first catalog of incunabula, was published.
1719 Maittaire started to publish Annales typographici, the first catalog of incunabula in annals format (~1741)
1722 Orlandi's Origine e progressi della stampa, the first research book on incunabula, was published.
1740 In commemoration of the 300th anniversary of the invention of the art of printing, Marchand's Histoire de l'origine et des premiers progress d'imprimerie was published.
1749 Typographical antiquities, Ames's research book on the early history of printing in England, was published.
1753 The British Museum was established in Great Britain.
1798 Senefelder invented lithography in Germany.
1826 The first volume of Hain's Repertorium bibliographicum, in quo libri omnes ab arte typographica inventa ad annum MD, the first comprehensive catalog of incunabula, was published. Publication continued until 1838.
1840 Falkenstein's Geschichte der Buchdruckerkunst in ihrer Entstehung und Ausbildung was published to commemorate the 400th anniversary of the invention of the art of printing.
1891 W. Morris established the Kelmscott Press.
1898 Proctor published the first volume of his An index to the early printed books in the British Museum: from the invention of printing to the year MD, an index to incunabula based on his type-classification method. Publication continued until 1906.
1904 The editorial committee for GW (Gesamtkatalog der Wiegendrucke, Union Catalog of Incunabula) was formed.
1905 The first volume of Haebler's complete guide to movable types, Typenrepertorium der Wiegendrucke, was issued. Publication continued until 1924.
1907 Publication of a collection of facsimiles of incunabula types (Veröffentlichungen der GfT) began, and continued until 1939.
1920 Schramm began publishing his Der Bilderschmuck der Fruhdrucke, a collection of woodcut illustrations from incunabula. Publication continued until 1943.
1925 Volume 1 of GW was issued (see 1904).
1940 Deutscher Buchdrucke im Jahrhundert Gutenbergs was published in commemoration of the 500th anniversary of the invention of the art of printing.
1980 The British Library began the work of entering data in its online union catalogue of incunabula ISTC.

Digital exhibitions

"Incunabula: Dawn of Western Printing" is one of digital exhibitions of the National Diet Library.
The NDL Digital Exhibitions features the NDL’s unique collections with explanations covering various themes such as nishiki-e, landscape photographs and historical materials. Discover your favorites!

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