21H.343J | Spring 2016 | Undergraduate

Making Books: The Renaissance and Today

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 …

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.

Learning Resource Types
Lecture Notes
Written Assignments with Examples
Image Gallery
Instructor Insights
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.)