Making Books: The Renaissance and Today

A large book, placed on a Plexiglas stand, lies open to a page containing elaborate type.

One of the rare editions of the Gutenberg Bible, printed in the 1450s. It was the first major book printed using mass-produced moveable type. (Image courtesy of Amy Allcock on flickr. License CC BY.)

Instructor(s)

MIT Course Number

21H.343J / CC.120J

As Taught In

Spring 2016

Level

Undergraduate

Cite This Course

Course Description

Course Features

Course Description

This course explores the impact of new technology on the recording and distribution of words and images at three different times: The invention of the printing press ca. 1450; the adaptation of electricity to communication technology in the 19th century (telegraph, telephone, phonograph); and the emergence of digital media today. Assignments include essays and online projects. Students also participate in the design and construction of a hand-set printing press.

This course is also part of the Concourse program at MIT.

Other Versions

Other OCW Versions

OCW has published multiple versions of this subject. Question_OVT logo

Related Content

Anne McCants, Jeffrey Ravel, and Ken Stone. 21H.343J Making Books: The Renaissance and Today. Spring 2016. Massachusetts Institute of Technology: MIT OpenCourseWare, https://ocw.mit.edu. License: Creative Commons BY-NC-SA.


For more information about using these materials and the Creative Commons license, see our Terms of Use.


Close