♠THE TOWNS AND CITIES OF THE NETHERLANDS IN WHICH PRINTING OFFICES WERE ESTABLISHED DURING THE FIFTEENTH CENTURY.[From Holtrop.]see largerUtrechtNicholas Ketelaer,Gerard de Leempt,1473–1474.William Hees1475.John Veldener1478–1481.AlostJohn of Westphalia1473–1474.Thierry Martens1474–1490.LouvainJohn Veldener1473–1477.John of Westphalia1474–1496.Conrad Braem1475–1481.Conrad of Westphalia1476.Hermann of Nassau, Rud. Loeffs,1483.Egidius van der Heerstraten1485–1488.Louis de Ravescot1488.Thierry Martens1498–1500.BrusselsBrotherhood of the Life-in-Common,1476–1487.GoudaGerard Leeu1477–1484.Godfrey de Os1486.Godfrey de GhemenUnnamed Printer1486.BrugesColard Mansion1475–1484.John BritoDeventerRichard Paffroed1477–1500.Jacques de Breda1485–1500.DelftJacob Jacobzoon1477–1479.J. Van der Meer1480–1487.Unnamed Printer1488–1494.St. MaartensdykWerrecoren1478.NimeguenGerard Leempt1479.ZwollUnknown Printer1479.Peter von Os1480–1500.AudenardeArn. l’Empereur1480–1482.HasseltPereg. Bermentlo1480–1481.AntwerpMatt. Van der Goes1482–1491.Gerard Leeu1484–1493.Thierry Martens1493–1497.LeydenHenry Henry1483–1484.GandArnold l’Empereur1483–1489.CulenburgJohn Veldener1483–1484.Bois-le-DucGerard Leempt1484–1487.SchoonhovenBrotherhood1495–1500.SchiedamUnnamed Printer1498–1500.HaarlemJacob Bellaert1483–1486.
♠THE TOWNS AND CITIES OF THE NETHERLANDS IN WHICH PRINTING OFFICES WERE ESTABLISHED DURING THE FIFTEENTH CENTURY.[From Holtrop.]see largerUtrechtNicholas Ketelaer,Gerard de Leempt,1473–1474.William Hees1475.John Veldener1478–1481.AlostJohn of Westphalia1473–1474.Thierry Martens1474–1490.LouvainJohn Veldener1473–1477.John of Westphalia1474–1496.Conrad Braem1475–1481.Conrad of Westphalia1476.Hermann of Nassau, Rud. Loeffs,1483.Egidius van der Heerstraten1485–1488.Louis de Ravescot1488.Thierry Martens1498–1500.BrusselsBrotherhood of the Life-in-Common,1476–1487.GoudaGerard Leeu1477–1484.Godfrey de Os1486.Godfrey de GhemenUnnamed Printer1486.BrugesColard Mansion1475–1484.John BritoDeventerRichard Paffroed1477–1500.Jacques de Breda1485–1500.DelftJacob Jacobzoon1477–1479.J. Van der Meer1480–1487.Unnamed Printer1488–1494.St. MaartensdykWerrecoren1478.NimeguenGerard Leempt1479.ZwollUnknown Printer1479.Peter von Os1480–1500.AudenardeArn. l’Empereur1480–1482.HasseltPereg. Bermentlo1480–1481.AntwerpMatt. Van der Goes1482–1491.Gerard Leeu1484–1493.Thierry Martens1493–1497.LeydenHenry Henry1483–1484.GandArnold l’Empereur1483–1489.CulenburgJohn Veldener1483–1484.Bois-le-DucGerard Leempt1484–1487.SchoonhovenBrotherhood1495–1500.SchiedamUnnamed Printer1498–1500.HaarlemJacob Bellaert1483–1486.
[From Holtrop.]see larger
see larger
UtrechtNicholas Ketelaer,Gerard de Leempt,1473–1474.William Hees1475.John Veldener1478–1481.AlostJohn of Westphalia1473–1474.Thierry Martens1474–1490.LouvainJohn Veldener1473–1477.John of Westphalia1474–1496.Conrad Braem1475–1481.Conrad of Westphalia1476.Hermann of Nassau, Rud. Loeffs,1483.Egidius van der Heerstraten1485–1488.Louis de Ravescot1488.Thierry Martens1498–1500.BrusselsBrotherhood of the Life-in-Common,1476–1487.GoudaGerard Leeu1477–1484.Godfrey de Os1486.Godfrey de GhemenUnnamed Printer1486.BrugesColard Mansion1475–1484.John BritoDeventerRichard Paffroed1477–1500.Jacques de Breda1485–1500.DelftJacob Jacobzoon1477–1479.J. Van der Meer1480–1487.Unnamed Printer1488–1494.St. MaartensdykWerrecoren1478.NimeguenGerard Leempt1479.ZwollUnknown Printer1479.Peter von Os1480–1500.AudenardeArn. l’Empereur1480–1482.HasseltPereg. Bermentlo1480–1481.AntwerpMatt. Van der Goes1482–1491.Gerard Leeu1484–1493.Thierry Martens1493–1497.LeydenHenry Henry1483–1484.GandArnold l’Empereur1483–1489.CulenburgJohn Veldener1483–1484.Bois-le-DucGerard Leempt1484–1487.SchoonhovenBrotherhood1495–1500.SchiedamUnnamed Printer1498–1500.HaarlemJacob Bellaert1483–1486.
We have no evidences that the unknown printer acquired his poor knowledge of typography through any other channel. His unequal workmanship is an indication that his instruction was imperfect; the neat presswork of his wood-cuts is that of an expert printer of block-books, who, no doubt, had abundant practice in this field before he undertook to print with types; the rudeness of his typographic work is that of one who had never received regular instruction in typography. It is possible that he received only a verbal explanation of the processes of the art,182and that he tried, unaided, to graft the new into the old method. His workmanship seems to be that of an imitator, a curious mixture of skill and of ignorance, but its inferiority to the workmanship of other printers of his time is not proof of its greater age or of his originality; it proves only his imperfect instruction or greater incapacity. So far from showing the first steps in an immature invention, his books truly show the degradation of a perfect method. They show the ignorance of a badly taught typographic printer, andp325the prejudices of an old block-printer who had adopted the newer method with reluctance. We have seen that Walther’s edition of theBible of the Pooris every way inferior to the first edition, and have drawn from it the conclusion that there was a wonderful degradation of the art of engraving on wood. When we establish a comparison between the greatBibleof Gutenberg and theSpeculumof the unknown printer we have similar premises, and have to form the similar conclusion, that the arts do not always improve with age, and that the pupil or the imitator is often inferior to the master.The evidences in favor of the priority of the unknown printer are very slight. It may be conceded that he was the first printer of the Netherlands, but it has not been proved, nor is it probable, that he printed with types earlier than the year 1463. Still more improbable is the assumption that he was an independent inventor of printing. We have to judge of the merits of this pretended invention as we do of every other—by its fruits. It had no fruit. The facts that this unknown printer made no mark on his age—that he left no work worthy of his alleged invention—that neither he nor his printed work was noticed by any of the chroniclers of his day—that he had no pupils, no successors, no imitators—should be sufficient to prove that he was not an inventor but an imitator.By many authors the question of his possible priority has been decided, not from an examination of known and proved facts, but from the assertions of prejudiced and untrustworthy witnesses. The frequent presentation of the statement of theCologne Chronicle, and of the legends that find their support in it, has not been without effect. There is a general belief in the tradition that types were first made in Haarlem by Coster, and that the German method was the outgrowth of the Dutch method. This proposition has been repeated so frequently and so confidently that it becomes necessary to give a critical examination to the legend of printing in Haarlem.
We have no evidences that the unknown printer acquired his poor knowledge of typography through any other channel. His unequal workmanship is an indication that his instruction was imperfect; the neat presswork of his wood-cuts is that of an expert printer of block-books, who, no doubt, had abundant practice in this field before he undertook to print with types; the rudeness of his typographic work is that of one who had never received regular instruction in typography. It is possible that he received only a verbal explanation of the processes of the art,182and that he tried, unaided, to graft the new into the old method. His workmanship seems to be that of an imitator, a curious mixture of skill and of ignorance, but its inferiority to the workmanship of other printers of his time is not proof of its greater age or of his originality; it proves only his imperfect instruction or greater incapacity. So far from showing the first steps in an immature invention, his books truly show the degradation of a perfect method. They show the ignorance of a badly taught typographic printer, andp325the prejudices of an old block-printer who had adopted the newer method with reluctance. We have seen that Walther’s edition of theBible of the Pooris every way inferior to the first edition, and have drawn from it the conclusion that there was a wonderful degradation of the art of engraving on wood. When we establish a comparison between the greatBibleof Gutenberg and theSpeculumof the unknown printer we have similar premises, and have to form the similar conclusion, that the arts do not always improve with age, and that the pupil or the imitator is often inferior to the master.
The evidences in favor of the priority of the unknown printer are very slight. It may be conceded that he was the first printer of the Netherlands, but it has not been proved, nor is it probable, that he printed with types earlier than the year 1463. Still more improbable is the assumption that he was an independent inventor of printing. We have to judge of the merits of this pretended invention as we do of every other—by its fruits. It had no fruit. The facts that this unknown printer made no mark on his age—that he left no work worthy of his alleged invention—that neither he nor his printed work was noticed by any of the chroniclers of his day—that he had no pupils, no successors, no imitators—should be sufficient to prove that he was not an inventor but an imitator.
By many authors the question of his possible priority has been decided, not from an examination of known and proved facts, but from the assertions of prejudiced and untrustworthy witnesses. The frequent presentation of the statement of theCologne Chronicle, and of the legends that find their support in it, has not been without effect. There is a general belief in the tradition that types were first made in Haarlem by Coster, and that the German method was the outgrowth of the Dutch method. This proposition has been repeated so frequently and so confidently that it becomes necessary to give a critical examination to the legend of printing in Haarlem.