[GUTENBERG, Johann (d. 1468).] – Biblia latina. [Mainz: Johann Gutenberg and Johann Fust, c.1455.]

A leaf from the Gutenberg Bible, the first substantial book printed with moveable type, describing the building of the First Temple by Solomon: the "Holy of Holies." This leaf contains the text of II Chronicles 3:8-6:3, and is likely from the Mannheim-Munich copy acquired by Gabriel Wells and dispersed by him in single leaves (many, but not all, bound with the essay "A Noble Fragment"). See lot 29 for a description of Isaac Newton's engagement with the building of the Temple of Solomon. One corner has been neatly cut out and then reattached—likely the result of an accident caused by the excision of the decorated initial from the previous leaf. Goff B-526; H *3031; GW 4201; BMC I, 17 (IC.55); Paul Needham, "The Paper Supply of the Gutenberg Bible," in Papers of the Bibliographical Society of America, Vol. 79, no. 3, 1985: P18. See Eric White, Editio Princeps (2017) for more on the book as a whole and the provenance of this copy. Exhibited: "The Heavens Revealed," Chapin Library, Williams College, 2003.

Royal folio (385 x 269mm). One leaf, from vol. I, folio 209 (y1). 42 lines, double column. Type: 1:146(138)G. 3 Lombard initials (one flourished), headings, and chapter numbers supplied in blue and red, capital strokes in red (neat repair to an upper corner traversing a few letters, light marginal soiling). Quarter morocco gilt cloth folding case. WITH a copy of the book from which the present leaf was removed: NEWTON, A. Edward. A Noble Fragment being a Leaf from the Gutenberg Bible. New York: Gabriel Wells, 1921. Folio. Buckram-backed boards (leaf removed, endleaves stained). Provenance: unidentified convent or church, perhaps in Hesse – Mannheim, Court Library (moved in 1777 to:) – Munich, Royal Library (their duplicate sale, 1832, sold for 350 guilders)– Robert Curzon, 1810-1870, 14th Baron Zouche (from 1870, by descent to:) – Mary Cecil Curzon Frankland, 1877-1965, 17th Baroness Zouche (from 1917, sold via Sotheby’s, 9 November 1920, lot 70, to:) – Frank Sabin (sold by him to:) – Gabriel Wells, who broke the volume into single leaves and some complete Bible books – Carl and Margaret Rollins (booklabel and presentation inscription from Bruce Rogers dated April 1922 in the book).