Gutenberg’s Cradle

A new exhibition of the oldest printed books in the world. 

Our new exhibition offers a rare chance to see books printed in the decades after the invention of printing by Johannes Gutenberg in the 1450s.

Marsh’s Library has 75 of these incredibly rare books known as incunables, a word derived from the Latin for ‘cradle’. Hence, the title of the exhibition: ‘Gutenberg’s Cradle’.

A striking feature of the books on display is how quickly printers perfected the new technology. Many contain inscriptions or comments left by their first owners. Other volumes have beautiful woodcut images of the creation of the universe, famous historical people, or extraordinary events such as comets and eclipses.

The exhibition will run until March 2025.

See the exhibition during normal opening hours

9.30 am – 5.00 pm from Tuesday to Friday

10.00 am – 5.00 pm on Saturday