No baseball box scores in the morning over coffee. No maps to help you find your way. And no best-selling books to take along on your next vacation.

Photo by Joe Angeles

A recent gift to University Libraries is this page from a Gutenberg Bible, one of the most important printed documents in history.

But thanks to Johann Gutenberg -- creator of the first books ever printed from movable type in the West -- you can do all of the above.

And thanks to a recent gift, the University now quite literally holds a page from Gutenberg's past. The gift to the University Libraries is a leaf from a Gutenberg Bible, circa 1455, one of the most important printed documents in history.

Some historians believe the invention of movable type is as important as the discovery of fire or the invention of the wheel.

The Gutenberg Bible leaf comes to the University from the collection of patron of the arts John H. Gundlach. A prominent member of the St. Louis arts and political scene around the turn of the 20th century, Gundlach was a renowned collector of books, manuscripts, prints and paintings. He served as president of the St. Louis City Council from 1909-1913.

A descendant of Gundlach recently donated the leaf to the University.

Gutenberg's invention of movable type allowed the mass production of books, which in turn allowed ideas and information to be freely and widely circulated as never before. In addition to breaking new ground technologically, the Gutenberg Bibles, printed in Latin, are prized for the intricate craftsmanship that went into their creation.

Photo by Joe Angeles

"We try to add works that represent the important milestones in printing," said Anne Posega, head of Special Collections at Olin Library. "We have strong holdings in 19th- and 20th-century printing, but the Gutenberg leaf takes us back to the beginning of modern printing technology."

A Gutenberg leaf is so desirable that owning one raises the libraries' already respected collections to a higher level.

Posega describes the Gutenberg Bible as one of the printed documents with the greatest cultural impact. She ranks it alongside the 1493 Latin and German editions of the Nuremberg Chronicle and Galileo's Dialogue of 1632, both also housed in Special Collections.

The timing of this acquisition comes just as Gutenberg is back in the news, as scholars debate the exact methods Gutenberg used for making his type.

"This is the very beginning of typography," said Kenneth E. Botnick, associate professor of graphic design in the School of Art and director of the Kranzburg Illustrated Book Studio. "From a historical point of view, it is amazing that the process remained stable for hundreds of years. This leaf helps establish for my students the power of the typographic image and its identification with literate culture."

To see the page Persons interested in viewing the leaf may stop by Special Collections, on Level 5 of Olin Library. The department is open from 8:30 a.m.-5 p.m. Monday-Friday. "We expect to show the piece to numerous groups, especially classes studying printing history and graphic design as well as various humanities classes," said Anne Posega, head of Special Collections.

"I'm a printer, so for me to have something that speaks to my genetic makeup is significant for the thrill factor alone."

Botnick will be among the University professors bringing classes to see the leaf.