Once the bridge mill carving was complete, a needle hammer background was carefully hand-produced to mimic the texture of a sand mold, the technique by which Gutenberg cast his original moveable letters. The museum’s gate marginalia was inspired by William Morris, the famed Arts and Crafts design master, and was illustrated by Rob Wood of Wood Ronsaville Harlin. These illuminations often referred to subjects within the text or might be something specifically requested by the owner. Marginalia is a term used for decorative artwork placed in the margins of a book. Upon purchase of a Gutenberg Bible, the new owner would hire an illustrator to illuminate the blank border spaces and/or create highly decorative capital letters. The 10 marginalia plates were similarly produced, but instead of text, they showcase illustrations. Instead of the traditional Western 26-letter alphabet, Gutenberg’s Bible contains over 250 letters, letter combinations and punctuation marks. Monograms joined often-used letter pairs, which sped up the typesetting process, economized space and reduced cost. Viewers may notice some combined letters, which are called monograms.
In keeping with the original Gutenberg inspiration, vertical lines were etched into the text panels’ background, referencing the lines produced from individual type blocks used in Gutenberg’s printing technique. The brass alloy of copper and zinc was specially formulated in Germany, and all waste material from the plates’ creation was recycled. The machine carved each line of text from solid 1-inch brass panels, often taking 8 hours or more per piece to complete. The 3-D geometry was used to generate tool paths directly to a CNC Vertical Bridge Mill machine. The typeface is a traditional blackletter style. Upon solidifying a design direction, engineers translated 2-D drawings into 3-D geometry, approximating the design elements of Gutenberg’s original cast letters. Involving analytical, machine and master hand work, 118 panels were created in a detailed, time-consuming process spanning two and a half years from concept to completion. Engineers from Zahner closely collaborated with Kirkland to ensure the artist’s intent remained intact throughout the design and fabrication process. Zahner Company, located in Kansas City, Missouri, for the company’s reputable attention to detail in creating highly bespoke metal work in art and architecture.
#BIBLE GATES MANUAL#
Gutenberg’s process was the peak of technology in 1450 and holds many parallels to the processes through which the Museum of the Bible gates were created-from conceptual to manual to machine work and back again. Through the creation of moveable metal type, the Gutenberg Bible began the age of the printed book and the proliferation of knowledge in the West. It gave rise to the mass production of written materials, increased accessibility to reading materials among the lower and middle classes, and changed education, politics and religion. This invention is considered one of the most consequential in history. The inspiration for the brass entry gates is the invention of the printing press by Johannes Gutenberg in Mainz, Germany. The highly tactile nature of the work serves as a tangible and dramatic introduction to what awaits guests inside. The finalized design contains the first 80 lines of Genesis written in Latin, as originally printed in the Gutenberg Bible, but in reverse to encourage guests to create their own souvenir rubbings. At nearly 40 feet high, the massive gates, comprised of 118 highly crafted brass panels, are the largest of their kind in the world. Artist Larry Kirkland, known for his large-scale public art, was commissioned to create the entrance gates that greet each guest.
The entrance to the Museum of the Bible conveys the mission of the institution artfully and contributes to guests’ understanding of the most important book in Western history. Gutenberg Gates: By Artist Larry Kirkland