Class XVII.]
399
the inking-roller* and table to the common press, and thismethod has entirely superseded the old printing balls, andcompletely abolished the imperfect inking, technicallycalled “ monks andJ'riars so frequently seen in booksprinted by the old system. The effect of Mr. Cowper’singenious invention is, that books are well, cheaply, andquickly printed, an abundance of illustrations introduced,and the quality of printing improved all over the world;thus rendering literature accessible to millions.
Printing, invented at Strasburg and at Maycnce, and -patronized by the Emperor Maximilian , who obtainedmasterpieces! from it at its very commencement, appearsin this Exhibition with a degree of splendour which hascaused general surprise. No less encouraged in our dayby its present sovereign, the Imperial Printing-office ofAustria has proved itself equal to its duties, and hasaccelerated the progress of the art by numerous experi-ments of all kinds. Xylography , engraving , type-found*ing, stereotyping whether by plaster moulds or by meansof gutta percha and the galvano-plastic process, electro- imetallurgy, by which fossil fishes and animals buried inthe antediluvian era are reproduced upon paper; galva-nography, galvanotype, chymitype, all those new appli-cations of art and science which dimly foreshadow anunknown future, are represented here; and lithography,that new sister of typography, also appears, with thenew adjuncts of chromotypy and chromo-lithography.
The beautiful and rich collection of Oriental types, of ;which we have counted more than a hundred differentsorts, as well engraved as they are well cast, proves thatin Austria learning is not less encouraged than the arts.
By the side of so many objects relating to typography,we must admire the typographic plates, each measuring540 square inches, formed by the galvanic process, andproducing, in copper, letters of all languages, from whichmany millions of copies may be printed without anyappearance of wear and tear.
M. Haas, of Prague (.367, p. 1023), has distinguishedhimself by various efforts towards sustaining the long-established reputation of his house.
After the admirable display made by Austria , of nu-merous specimens of well-executed typography in alllanguages, the Jury hardly feel themselves authorizedto express a wish that, among the great and increasingnumber of printers in that empire, a few had sent theirproductions, to show how far the art has advanced with-out the support of the Government. The only Exhibitorin letter-press, besides M. Haas, was M. Battagia, ofVenice (366, p 1028), who sent fair specimens of typo-graphy, in simple and convenient binding. As pub-lishers, MM. Muller {372, p. 1028), and Neuman (373,p. 102S), of Vienna , exhibited books and albums got upwith much care.
Printing —Prussia.
Next to the Imperial Printing-office of Austria wenotice that of M. Decker, the printer to the Royal Aea-
* Earl Stanhope, when he invented the Printing Press which will bear his name to posterity, coupled with Insobject an idea of inking the form on the press by means ofa revolving cylinder, and in pursuit of this plan spared noexpense in endeavouring to find a substance with which tocover his rollers. He had the skins of every animal whichhe thought likely to answer the purpose, dressed by everypossible process, and tried many other substances, as cloth,silk, &c., without success. The unnecessary seam down thewhole length of the roller was the first impediment, andnext the impossibility of keeping any skin or substancethen known always so soft and pliable as to receive the inkwith an even coat, and communicate the same to the formwith the regularity required. All the presses of his early ,construction had at each end of the table a raised flanch,type high, for the purpose of applying his rollers ; but the ,obstacles interposed by nature herself totally baffled and idefeated his Lordship’s plans in this respect.
t This may be judged of at the British Museum , by the !unique copy upon vellum, printed by Schcensporger about '1514. It is a magnificent ‘Mivre d'heuros,” the execution 1of which is even superior to that of the celebrated book ofthe Adventures of Teurdanck. 1
demy of Berlin (14S, p. 1056). The large folio New Testament , the German translation by Luther, is a master piece of typographic art. The printing of it is perfect,the types are well cut and cast, the ink is black and bril-liant, and the paper excellent. Great praise must alsobe accorded to the edition of the complete works ofFrederick the Great , a literary and typographic monu-ment of great beauty, raised by Prussia to its hero. Thefive volumes in large quarto, already published, areworthy in every respect, by their typographic execution,of the importance of such a work.
. M. Decker exhibited, amongst the specimens of typesfrom his foundry, some beautiful Oriental types, engravedin part with the co-operation of the Academy of Berlin,ami also specimens of brass rules, of great depth in theengraving, and of very superior execution.
M. Likp.mann’s ingenious invention (147, p. 1056) forprinting in oil from a mass of solid colours, as a sub-stitute for semifluid printing inks, has attracted the no-tice of the Jury, and they hope that when it has beensufficiently improved, this may be a valuable adjunct toornamental printing.
M. G. Westermann, of Brunswick (749, p. 1091), hasshown a specimen of good printing in the work entitled“ European Gallery,” printed upon German paper.
From Elberfeld , M. Baedeker’s “ German Bible,” infolio (832, p. 1095), is a specimen of small and neat typeprinting. M. Haenel, of Berlin (2S4, p. 1065), exhibitedbank-notes, and labels in gold and colours, possessingsome merit.
Printing—Saxon y.
M. IIirschfkld’s, of Leipzic (180, p. 1113), and someother typographic establishments, maintain printing in anhonourable position in Germany .
The considerable number of publications printed in asingle year by M. Brockhaus (178, p. 1112), who isat the same time a printer, a type-founder, a bookseller,and publisher, at Leipzic, lias attracted the notice of theJury. All these publications are directed towards lite-rary and scientific purposes, and each edition is verylarge. Although his printing aims less at the perfection ofthe art than at cheapness and correctness, we have never-theless remarked a charming little volume entitled DieBezauberte Hose , by Schultze.
The books printed and published by MM. Vieweg,of Brunswick >,822, p. 1>)95), who are also type-foundersand paper-makers, are not less worthy of remark for theiraim at scientific usefulness. The execution of them iswithout any attempt at fine printing, but is such as suitsthis description of books.
M. Barth’s work, “Minstrels of Germany” (179,p. 1112), printed at Leipzic, on parchment, and the pub-lications of M. Sciimerbek, of Frankfort (30, p. 1124;,should also be mentioned.
In general, the Jury have observed, in all the booksexhibited in the German Department, great improve-ments in the paper, in the clearness and neatness of thetype, and the quality of the ink.
Printing, soon after its discovery, was carried toPome by some German printers. The Popes Sixtus V. ,Leo X. , and Clement XIV. , founded the celebrated print-ing-office of the Vatican , for the purpose of printing thexvorks of the Holy Fathers and the Holy Scriptures , andof propagating the Catholic Faith. Their beautifulOriental types give this printing-office an honourablestanding, but its publications are few, and do not keeppace with the progress of the times.
The Vendelius of Spires, and the Jensons, were earlyestablished in Venice . They introduced some happymodifications into the types by making them approachnearer to the beautiful letters of Roman inscriptions.The Aldi still further improved them, and invented thesloping types called italic. Their beautiful and eruditepublications are remarkable even in the present day fortheir typographic execution.
At the end of the last century, and at the commence-ment of the present, Bodoni, a typographer of consuin-