The Invention of Printing. / A Collection of Facts and Opinions, Descriptive of Early Prints and Playing Cards, the Block-Books of the Fifteenth Century, the Legend of Lourens Janszoon Coster, of Haarlem, and the Work of John Gutenberg and His Associates

A survey of the origins and early development of printing that gathers facts and opinions about early prints, block-books, playing cards, and rival claims to invention. It examines physical and technical features of early typography — types, moulds, presses, and printing methods — and is illustrated with numerous facsimiles and wood-cuts. The text reviews disputed attributions and traditions surrounding early inventors, including Laurens Janszoon Coster and John Gutenberg, and critiques nationalistic distortions in earlier histories. It seeks to render typographic mechanics and evidence accessible to both practitioners and general readers through clear explanation and comparative visual examples.