Art, culture & history images

The Bible

Although there have been many versions of The Bible over the centuries, Gutenberg's Bible has particular significance. The Gutenberg Bible was one of the first books to be printed in Europe. Begun in 1450 in Mainz, Germany by Johannes Gutenberg, the first copies were available five years later. It is believed that 180 copies of the bible were produced. The Gutenberg Bible closely resembles the manuscript Bibles of the time and has iconic status in the West as the book that started the age of the printed book.

Images of the Gutenberg Bible

Quotations from Chairman Mao Tse-Tung

Also known as The Little Red Book, this book was comprised of quotations from various speeches and works by Chairman Mao. Published from 1964 to 1976, nearly every person in China owned a copy, and it became one of the enduring symbols of the Cultural Revolution and features in much of the propoganda of the time.

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The Qu'ran

Islam holds that the Qu'ran (or Koran) was first revealed to Muhammed by the angel Gabriel in 610 CE, and was handed down through the oral tradition until being written down some twenty years later when it first began being produced in large numbers.

More images of the Qu'ran

The Chronicles of Narnia
written by C.S. Lewis

The Chronicles of Narnia, published between 1950-1956, is a seven part children's fantasy series that takes place in a parallel, magical world of Narnia. Each tale features children who are magically transported to Narnia - a world of talking animals, magic and the age old battle between good and evil. Although the themes borrow heavily from Christianity, there are also characters and ideas from Greek and Roman mythology and traditional fairy tales.

Illustrations from the Chronicles of Narnia by Jonathan Barry

The American Spelling Book
written by Noah Webster

Webster was a lexicographer who altered the spelling of many English words from their British version. He also wrote many books, including the best selling The American Spelling Book which was originally titled, The First Part of the Grammatical Institute of the English Language, and designed for use in elementary schools.