The newest library in Los Angeles now has another feature to brag about: a leaf from one of the original Gutenberg Bibles.
Cardinal Roger Mahony, archbishop of Los Angeles, presented the leaf to Loyola Marymount University President Robert B. Lawton, S.J., at the dedication of the William H. Hannon Library on Sunday.
The Biblia Latina printed by Johannes Gutenberg around 1452 is considered the beginning of the print era, a revolution in learning and literacy that spread across Europe and formed the foundation of knowledge for centuries to come.
“I am entrusting to you a page from that famed book as a token of gratitude for the generosity of William Hannon, which is continuing forward through the two Hannon foundations,” the cardinal wrote in a letter to President Lawton.
The text of the leaf is printed in two columns on each side of the page. It begins in chapter 33 of the Book of Isaiah, ending in mid-chapter 36.
For the library, the double-sided page featuring Gothic-lettered verses in Latin is more than just a collector’s item, said Cynthia Becht, head of archives and special collections for LMU.
“This is exactly the kind of thing we’d like to show to the many classes that visit us. Many professors bring their classes to talk about the transition from the medieval manuscript days to printing,” Becht said. “This is the book that changed everything.”
