Gutenberg Experimenting in Strasbourg

1440

A German goldsmith, hiding from creditors and political enemies, began tinkering with a wine press, oil-based ink, and hand-cast metal type. He showed it to nobody for years. The technology that would redraw Europe was being invented on credit in a cellar above a ruined monastery. Court records reveal experiments with a press, lead type, and polished stones, though the exact nature of his process remained closely guarded.