The development of the printing press was hugely significant, allowing literature to spread like never before. A new exhibition at the Senate House Library traces and contextualises this history.
The history
For book printers Cirencester such as those at https://wheatleyprinters.co.uk/printing-services/marketing-materials/book-printers/cirencester/ to ply their trade today, first William Caxton had to introduce the printing press to England in 1476. Caxon’s press allowed printing to become affordable and producible at scale, which in turn encouraged books and reading to become accessible to all, not just the elites.
The exhibition
This particular exhibition takes place at Senate House Library, the main library for the University of London. It is situated a short walk from Tottenham Court Road. “The English Print Revolution: Caxton and Beyond” is a single-room free exhibit running until 1st July 2026.
As part of the exhibition, you can view sheets of early printing, as well as extracts from early printed books, from Caxton’s press. The first complete book is The Game of Chess, an instruction manual on polite behaviour, published in 1483. Travelling further forward, you can see different typefaces develop, the introduction of page numbers, and now mostly forgotten conventions such as printing the next page’s first word at the bottom of the current page. It highlights difficulties in early printing, such as producing musical notation, and touches on Caxton’s contemporaries, such as Wynkyn de Worde.
Anyone who wants to learn more about the early history of the printed word may take an interest in this exhibition. Just double check opening times before you visit in case of unexpected closures.
+ There are no comments
Add yours