The sale of locally 3D printed models of a 15th century original Gutenberg printing press is raising awareness of and earning much needed funds for the activities of the Penrith Museum of Printing in Sydney.

The project was the brainchild of printing professional and ambassador, Dr Stephanus Peters, who recalled a visit many years ago to the Gutenberg Museum in Mainz, where visitors could buy small wooden models of the press.

Johannes Gutenberg began building his first wooden printing press, based on a wine press, in Mainz, Germany, in 1436. It took him four years to complete the task.

Today, despite using the latest 3D technology, it still takes a day to produce one of the replicas being sold at the Penrith museum and the small price being charged for the models belies the thinking and effort that has gone into designing and producing the replicas.

Peters explains that there is no exact and reliable contemporary image or drawing of the original Gutenberg press; he says, “most replicas of the Gutenberg press have been designed based on images seen in woodcut artworks of fellow Renaissance man, artist, painter and print maker, Albrecht Dürer.”

The Gutenberg press replicas available from the museum are based on press images found in Dürer’s art, and are 13cm long by 11cm tall and 7cm wide.

Ordering information may be found on the Penrith Museum of Printing website, printingmuseum.org.au or better yet, pay a visit in person on Saturday or Sunday from 10am. Call  0415 625 573 or email printing_museum@sifan.org for more information.

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