Books made circa the mid 1400s in germany and the netherlands in which pictures and explanatory text were printed from woodblocks.
A block book is a book in which the text and illustrations are carved into blocks of wood and covered with a layer of parchment or paper. The blocks are then arranged in a frame on a press and inked before being transferred to a sheet of paper. Block books were the first type of book to be printed with a movable type press, and they were popular in Europe during the 15th century.
Block books were cheaper to produce than manuscripts and were often used for educational purposes. They were also used to disseminate religious texts, particularly in areas where literacy was low. Some of the most famous block books include the Biblia Pauperum (The Poor Man’s Bible) and the Ars Moriendi (The Art of Dying).
Despite their popularity, block books fell out of use after the invention of printing with metal type in the mid-15th century. Their simple construction made them more susceptible to wear and tear, and they were not as durable as books printed with metal type. Today, block books are prized by collectors and often fetch high prices at auction.
One of the advantages of block books is that they are much cheaper to produce than books that are printed with movable type. This is because each page only needs to be carved once, and then can be used over and over again. Block books were also much easier to transport than movable type books, since they were much lighter and could be rolled up.
Block books were an important development in the history of books and publishing. They were the first type of book to be printed using movable type, and they paved the way for the mass production of books. Block books were also significant because they helped to spread literacy and knowledge.