Biblia Latina, 1462, vol. 1

[BIBLIA LATINA]. Vol. 1, printed on vellum.
Mainz: Johann Fust and Peter Schoeffer, 14 August 1462. (06119)


One of Fust and Schoeffer’s greatest achievements, the Bible of 1462 is the fourth printed edition of the Latin Bible, the first to bear the names of its printers and the date of its completion, and the first to be divided formally into two volumes. Another notable feature is the introduction of the heraldic printer's mark at the end of each volume. This was to become the most recognized trademark in fifteenth-century printing.

What made the Bible of 1462 one of the most successful and influential of its time was its use of a small but handsome typeface designed for extended private reading. This Bible also represented the most ambitious attempt by fifteenth-century printers to produce a Bible that was ready to use, that is, one published with numerous printed rubrics, colored initials, chapter numerals, and paragraph marks, each ordinarily added by rubricators. Although the printers could not replace the rubricator’s work entirely, their complex multi-colored printing project remained a unique achievement among Bibles of the fifteenth century.

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Early Masterpieces
Biblia Latina, 1462, vol. 1