Print culture and the modern world

Question 1

Earliest kind of print technology was developed in?

Answer 1

China, Japan, Korea.

Question 2

Chinese accordion book?

Answer 2

Books in china were printed from AD 594 by rubbing paper, and folding and stitching both sides of the book.

Question 3

Print in china?

Answer 3

• China started conducted civil service exams for its bureaucrats and its textbooks were printed in large numbers.
• Reading became a part of leisure activity and rich women started publishing their own poetry and plays.
• Shanghai became the hub of the new print culture.

Question 4

Print in Japan?

Answer 4

Buddhist missionaries from china introduced hand printing into Japan around AD 768- 770

Question 5

Oldest Japanese book?

Answer 5

The Buddhist Diamond Sutra. Features:
- Printed in AD 868
- Contained 6 sheets of text and woodcut illustrations.
- Pictures were printed on textiles, paper money and playing cards.

Question 6

Print comes to Europe:

Answer 6

In 11th century, chinese paper reached europe.
Marco polo, a great explorer returned to Italy after many years of exploration in China, he brought the knowledge of woodblock printing and soon the technology spread to other parts of europe.

Question 7

Vellum?

Answer 7

Animal skin parchment.

Question 8

Guternberg and the printing press?

Answer 8

Guternburg was the son of a merchant who grew up on a large agricultural estate.
From his childhood he had seen wine and olive presses.
Johann Guternburg developed the first known printing press in the 1430’s

Question 9

First printed book from printing press?

Answer 9

Bible

Question 10

What led to print revolution?

Answer 10

Between 1450 and 1550 printing presses were set up in most european countries.
Shift from hand printing to mechanical printing led to print revolution.

Question 11

Print revolution’s effects?

Answer 11

In most parts of Europe, literacy rates went up through 17th and 18th centuries. (60%- 80%)

Churches set up schools in villages, carrying literacy to peasants and artisians.

New form of print revolution appeared in print, targeting new audiences.

From early 18th century, periodical press developed which combined information related to current affairs with entertainment.

Writings of thinkers such as Jaques Rosseau and Voltaire were also widely printed and red.

Question 12

Effects of print revolution in England?

Answer 12

England: Petty chapbooks were carried by chapmen and sold for a penny so that even the poor could buy them.

Question 13

Effects of print revolution in France?

Answer 13

France: ‘Biliotheque Bleu” were low priced small books printed on low quality paper and bound in cheap blue covers.

Question 13

‘Tremble, therefore tyrants of the world.’

Answer 13

• Books were considered as a means of spreading progress and enlightenment through the mid 18th century.
• According to Louis sebastian mercier, a novelist in the 18th -century France,

‘The printing press is the most powerful engine of progress and public opinion is
the force that will sweep despotism away.’

Question 14

What impact did print culture create on the French revolution?

Answer 14

• Print popularized the ideas of the enlightenment thinkers: They argued for rule of reason rather than custom and demanded that everything be judged through the application of reason and rationality.
• Print created a new custom for dialouge and debates: All values, norms and institutions were reevaluated and discussed by a public that recognized the need to question existing ideas and beliefs.
• By the 1780’s there was an outpouring of literature that mocked the royalty and criticized their morality.

Question 15

How print affected childeren?

Answer 15

• Grimm brothers spent years compiling folk tales gathered from peasants.
• The press published old and new fairy and folk tales.
• Production of school textbooks.
• They published stories in 1812 and removed all vulgar elements.
• The first childeren’s press was setup in france in 1857.

Question 16

How print affected women?

Answer 16

• Women read penny magazines ( Manuals, houskeeping.)
• Women started writing novels in 19th century.
• Famous women novelists: Jane Austen, The Bronte Sisters, George Eliot.

Question 16

Innovations that improved printing from 19th century?

Answer 16

• Late 18th century press came to be made out of metal.
• Richard M Hoe of new york had perfected the power driven cylinderical press capable of printing 8000 sheets per hour.
• Late 19th century the offset press was developed which could print 6 colors.
• 20th century: Electrically operated presses accelarated printing operations.

Question 17

How print affected workers?

Answer 17

• Libraries emerged in England in 19th century for workers, artisians and lower middle class people.
• In mid 19th century, working days were shortened so they could get more time to read and write.
• They wrote about political tracts and autobiographies.

Question 18

Shilling series?

Answer 18

In 1920’s england, popular works were sold in cheap series called the shilling series.