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About this Item

Title

  • Apocalypsis Sancti Johannis.

Summary

  • This work, printed in Germany in 1470, includes part of the text of the Apocalypse of Saint John, the last book of the Christian Bible, also known as the Book of Revelation. The book is based on letters written to church members in Asia Minor that describe Saint John's heavenly visions and revelations. It tells the story of the great heavenly warfare between good and evil, Christ's return to earth, the punishment of the wicked, and the reward of righteousness. This edition of the Apocalypse is a superb example of block book printing. Block books were essentially picture books in which design and text were carved from a plank of wood, inked, and then pressed against paper, leaving an impression of words and image. Block book printing emerged in the 15th century and was used to produce Bible tales and moral stories for a semi-literate population in much the same fashion as stained glass windows in churches depicted stories from the life of Christ and the saints. Block book printing originally was thought to be the precursor to printing with movable type, but more recent research has indicated that these scarce books were created in the same period that Gutenberg introduced printing to Western Europe. World Digital Library.

Names

  • Lessing J. Rosenwald Collection (Library of Congress)

Created / Published

  • [Germany, ca. 1470]

Headings

  • -  John,--the Apostle, Saint
  • -  Bible.--Revelation.--Illustrations
  • -  Germany

Genre

  • Incunabula--Germany--1470

Notes

  • -  Block book. Printed in brown ink on one side of leaves only.
  • -  Includes illustration of the life of St. John.
  • -  LC copy hand colored. Part of the text of the Apocalypse with commentary in 15th cent. hand on blank versos of some leaves.
  • -  LC copy bound with Thomas Aquinas, Saint. Postilla in Job. [Esslingen] 1474. Copy 3.
  • -  Catalogue of books printed in the XVth century now in the British Museum, I, p. 3 (IB.41)
  • -  Library of Congress. Lessing J. Rosenwald collection, 23
  • -  Schreiber, W.L. Handbuch der Holz- und Metallschnitte des XV. Jahrhunderts (3. Aufl.), IV, p. 160-216 (4th ed., 1st state)
  • -  Also available in digital form on the Library of Congress Web site.
  • -  Gift of Lessing J. Rosenwald, 1943-1975.

Medium

  • [48] leaves : ill. ; 31 cm (fol.)

Call Number/Physical Location

  • Incun. 1474 .T45

Digital Id

Library of Congress Control Number

  • 2006675880

Online Format

  • pdf
  • image

Additional Metadata Formats

IIIF Presentation Manifest

Rights & Access

The Library of Congress is not aware of any U.S. copyright or any other restrictions in the documents in this collection. However, some of the content may be protected by the U.S. Copyright Law (Title 17, U.S.C.) and/or by the copyright or neighboring-rights laws of other nations. Additionally, the reproduction of some materials may be restricted by privacy and/or publicity rights. The determination of the status of an item ultimately rests with the person desiring to reproduce or use the item.

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Credit Line: Library of Congress, Rare Book and Special Collections Division

Availability of Reproductions

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Cite This Item

Citations are generated automatically from bibliographic data as a convenience, and may not be complete or accurate.

Chicago citation style:

Lessing J. Rosenwald Collection. Apocalypsis Sancti Johannis. Germany, 1470. [Germany] Photograph. https://www.loc.gov/item/49040111/.

APA citation style:

Lessing J. Rosenwald Collection. (1470) Apocalypsis Sancti Johannis. Germany, 1470. [Germany] [Photograph] Retrieved from the Library of Congress, https://www.loc.gov/item/49040111/.

MLA citation style:

Lessing J. Rosenwald Collection. Apocalypsis Sancti Johannis. [Germany] Photograph. Retrieved from the Library of Congress, <www.loc.gov/item/49040111/>.