Escutcheons of Science
 Johannes Gutenberg (1400-1468)

Johannes Gensfleisch zur Laden zum  Gutenberg  (1400-1468)
Inventor of the modern printing process  (1439)

The above is a copyrighted picture reproduced here by permission.  © 2009   by Jochen Wilke.

Gules, a beggar cloaked and hooded,  holding
a begging bowl dexter and a walking stick sinister, all Proper.

Like Otto Hupp and other modern heraldists,  Jochen Wilke  feels that the beggar's garb is best rendered Or instead of Proper.
This is consistent with the Germanic blending of crest and mantling used here  (the ragged mantling is a nice touch).
 
This composition is definitely one of Wilke's very best and it's my personal favorite (so far).
It was highly praised by the noted heraldic artist  Daniel de Bruin.  (The Heraldic Ermine).

 Johannes Gutenberg 
 1400-1468

Johannes Gutenberg  was a German goldsmith from Mainz.  He adopted as a surname the name given to the  home of his parents, possibly because his  Gensfleisch  family name did not sound dignified enough  (Gänsefleisch means "goose meat").  The  Gensfleisch zur Laden  family seems related to the  Gensfleisch von Sorgenloch  whose arms also feature a beggar  (possibly a canting element for  Sorgenloch  which evokes  misery).

One of the main innovations of Johannes Gutenberg was the introduction  (c. 1439)  of mass-produced movable type,  using alloys of the metal formerly called  stibium  (element 51, Sb)  which is now known as  antimony  (literally, "anti-monk")  precisely because Gutenberg's invention provided a printed alternative to the books that were hand-copied by monks  (Gutenberg Bibles, 1455).  Johannes Gutenberg also introduced the screw press and oil-based ink which made modern printing possible.

By making the dissemination of information much easier, Gutenberg's invention of an efficient printing process ushered in the  Renaissance.  It is has thus been construed as the most important innovation of the second millenium.

 Doodle celebrating Johannes Gutenberg.  April 14, 2014

Wikipedia   |   Project Gutenberg  


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