The Mirrour of the World (Facsimile), 1481
Original text by Gautier de Metz (French, 1245)
Translated and printed by William Caxton (1422-1491)
Westminster, England
Facsimile printed by the Allen Press. Kentfield, CA, 1964.
As a collection of information on the seven liberal arts – grammar, logic, rhetoric, arithmetic, geometry, astronomy, and music – The Mirrour of the World was believed to contain all human knowledge. Using images carved from woodblocks, the encyclopedia became the first illustrated book printed in England. Though Caxton considered these illustrations primitive and the worst he’d ever printed, this new combination of image with printed text gave additional power to the words in their ability to educate the reader.
The Mirror of the World (facsimile). Image 1.
The Mirror of the World (facsimile). Image 2.
The Mirror of the World (facsimile). Image 3.
The Mirror of the World (facsimile). Image 4.
The Mirror of the World (facsimile). Image 5.
The Mirror of the World (facsimile). Image 6.
The Mirror of the World (facsimile). Image 7.
The Mirror of the World (facsimile). Image 8.
The Mirror of the World (facsimile). Image 9.
The Mirror of the World (facsimile). Image 10.