The Baskerville Bible
The Baskerville Bible
BIB.003982
Bible - Printed Book
1763
England
English
Printed on paper
19.7 × 13.2 × 3.5 in. (50 × 33.5 × 9 cm)
On View in The History of the Bible, The King James Bible
The Baskerville Bible is considered by some historians to be the most elegant King James Bible ever produced and the highpoint in English Bible printing. John Baskerville was an innovative printer, engraver, and typographer who gained recognition in the late 1750s for his editions of the works of Virgil and John Milton. In 1758, he was appointed printer for the University of Cambridge and granted permission to produce a new folio Bible. Baskerville published his Bible in 1763 using a typeface he created (now called “Baskerville” font) and a smoother “wove paper,” which he helped develop and introduce. This material, along with Baskerville’s meticulous craftsmanship, set a new standard for English Bibles moving forward. Only 1,250 copies of his Bible were printed.
Printed in 1763 by John Baskerville, Cambridge, England. Acquired by 2016 by Craig Lampe, The Bible Museum, Goodyear, Arizona; Privately purchased by 2016 by Dr. Andrew Stimer, private collector, Camarillo, California; Purchased in 2016 by Green Collection, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma; Donated in 2017 to National Christian Foundation (later The Signatry), under the curatorial care of Museum of the Bible, Washington, DC.
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