British Library Treasures in full: Gutenberg Bible
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5. The digitisation

In March 2000, ten researchers and technical experts from HUMI institute of Keio University in Tokyo and from NTT spent two weeks in the British Library creating digital images of the Bibles, under the direction of Professor Toshiyuki Takamiya.

Camera used for the Gutenberg digitisation

This is the camera used for the Gutenberg digitisation. It is a single-shot digital camera. This meant that the books were only exposed to light and kept open at the same page for very short periods.

Book cradle designed to the British Library's specifications

HUMI designed a book cradle to the British Library's specifications, ensuring that it could be adapted to suit the needs of all the books which they digitised. Here the cradle has been adapted to suit the King's copy, printed on paper.

Grenville copy printed on vellum being prepared for photography

This is the Grenville copy, printed on vellum, being prepared for photography.

The images were immediately processed and given a final visual check - all completed in about 30 seconds per page. Having the final check done at this point ensured that we did not have to return to pages which had already been photographed. All problems were solved on the spot. The British Library is grateful for the support received from its Japanese partners.

Tell Me More
 
1. The copy on paper
2. The copy on vellum
3. The 42-line Bible 'Bagford Fragment'
4. Why compare the copies?
5. The digitisation
6. Analysis of the Illuminations Using Raman Microscopy
7. Copies elsewhere in the UK

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