The Baskerville Bible
The Baskerville Bible
BIB.001127.1-.5
Bible - Printed Book
1763
England
English
Printed on Paper
13 × 19.5 × 1.25 in. (33 × 50 × 3.2 cm)
Not on View
The Baskerville Bible is considered one of the most elegant King James Bibles ever produced and a 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. This copy is bound in five volumes.
Printed in 1763 by John Baskerville, Cambridge, England. Acquired by 1826 by David Nisbet, London, England.[1] Acquired by 1941 by Irwin Laughlin, diplomat, Washington, DC.[2] Acquired by 1959 by Lucien Goldschmidt, bookdealer, New York; Privately purchased in 1959 by Cornelius J. Hauck, private collector, Ohio; Purchased at auction in 2006 by Lou Weinstein, bookdealer, California;[3] Privately purchased in 2010 by Green Collection, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma; Donated in 2016 to National Christian Foundation (later The Signatry), under the curatorial care of Museum of the Bible, Washington, DC.
Notes: [1] David Nisbet’s bookplate is located on the front pastedown. There is also an extensive history of the Nisbet family, stretching back to the 1300s, recorded in the flyleaves of volume one. [2] Irwin Laughlin’s bookplate is located on the front pastedown. [3] Christie’s, New York, The History of the Book: The Cornelius J. Hauck Collection, June 27, 2006, Lot 364.
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