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| Printing presses |
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| Editorial office |
One of the reasons I went to Antwerp was to visit the Plantin-Moretus Museum. Christoph Plantin established the world's first industrial publishing and printing company in the middle of the 16th century and was succeeded by his son in law Jan Moretus. The mainstay of the company was religious texts,but they also published books on geography, history and reference, including the first 'modern' book on anatomy. Publishing up to 1876, the building was purchased by the city of Antwerp and turned into a museum.
It is amazing that this place survived so intact for so long and now houses two of the oldest printing presses, the original 17th century bookshop, two extensive libraries along with all the family's living quarters which were in the same building. Among the book collections are two Gutenberg bibles and a first edition of Mercartor's atlas.
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| Bookshop |
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| Gutenberg Bible |
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| Mercartor Atlas |
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