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| Airopaidia by Thomas Baldwin |
The artifact shown above is a book studying air balloons, printed in 1786. The book’s subject is the topic of balloon travel, the writer goes on a journey on the 8th of September in 1785. The book covers improvements to the balloon to prevent descent over water, and the improvement of the source of heat. Also, the book serves as an introduction to aerial navigation. The goal of the book is to inform someone interested in getting into balloon flight.
The book is printed on paper, using a metal-type printing press. It looks to be the only edition of the book. The function of the book is to serve as a study book of sorts. The first human flight with balloons only happened 2 years before that, now the book serves as a look into the past of early human experimentation with aeronautics, hundreds of years before we took to the skies with planes. It wasn't until I discovered this artifact that I realized we've been using balloons much longer that I had originally thought.
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| A Treatise of Artificial Magnets by John Michell |
This artifact taken from the e-rara digital library is a book published in 1750 that covers the study of magnets, artificial and natural. The Writer’s goals in this book look to be the best way to harness and create magnets. An example of this is the best creation of the mariner’s compass, which is an invaluable tool. The tool used in the creation of this book is the metal-type printing press, printed on paper.
The meaning at the time of creation is just a study of and creation of magnets. Today, the book gives us a glimpse into the past, we’ve learned plenty about magnets since the 1700s. now the book serves to document our progress with magnets. To me, magnets are still mysterious. To look back hundreds of years and see people studying them is fascinating.
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| Jikji the oldest known printed book |
The final artifact is the oldest book printed with a moveable metal type. Printed in 1377 in Korea, this book was printed 78 years before the first printed book in Europe. Interestingly, the following year this book was printed with wooden type. The creator of the book most likely wanted to put out as many copies of this book as possible, being that it was a religious book. With it being printed on metal type, it took time to create so it had to be important enough to spend the time on. But not so high in value that a hand-copied version was more important.
The book was printed with the metal-type press, and the substrate used was most likely what China used at the time, paper. The book is a collection of Buddhist teachings. (Britannica) Today the book is studied not because of its content, but how its content was printed. Interestingly, the first known books to be printed on metal-type presses are religious texts. Possibly due to the power religion has on society.
References:
Baldwin, T. (n.d.). Airopaidia : Containing the narrative of a balloon excursion from Chester, the eighth of September, 1785, taken from minutes made during the voyage: Hints on the improvement of balloons and mode of inflation by steam; means to prevent their descent over water; occasional enquiries into the state of the atmosphere, favouring their direction; with various philosophical observations and conjectures, to which is subjoined, mensuration of heights by the barometer, made plain; with extensive tables, the whole serving as an introduction to aerial navigation / by Thomas Baldwin. ETH-Bibliothek / Airopaidia. Retrieved February 6, 2022, from https://www.e-rara.ch/zut/content/titleinfo/11646513
Britannica, T. E. of E. (n.d.). Ch'ŏngju. Encyclopædia Britannica. Retrieved February 6, 2022, from https://www.britannica.com/place/Chongju#ref1296889
Google. (n.d.). The invention of movable metal type: Goryeo technology and Wisdom - Cheongju Early Printing Museum - Google Arts & Culture. Google. Retrieved February 6, 2022, from https://artsandculture.google.com/exhibit/the-invention-of-movable-metal-type-goryeo-technology-and-wisdom/jQLywilonG6kIg
Michell, J. (n.d.). A treatise of artificial magnets : In which is shewn an easy and expeditious method of making them, superior to the best natural ones, and also, a way of improving the natural ones and of changing or converting their poles. diretions are likewise given for making the mariner's needles in the best form, and for touching them most advantageously, etc / by J. Michell, B.A. fellow of queen's college, Cambridge. ETH-Bibliothek / A treatise of artificial magnets. Retrieved February 6, 2022, from https://www.e-rara.ch/zut/content/titleinfo/3706447
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