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42-line Bible
42
Gutenberg Bible, B42. Two columns of 42 lines.
The first substantial European printed book is a 42-line Bible. Early sheets were set at 40 lines, one at 41. The run was then reset to 42 by tightening the space between lines. Memory becoming transmissible form.
What it supports
A physical page from Mainz, c. 1454–1455. Two columns of forty-two lines. Catalogued B42. LoC, the Gutenberg-Museum, and UNESCO Memory of the World use that name. The 40- and 41-line states survive on early sheets. Movable type is a medium change. The 42 sits inside that change.
What it does not
Not a mystical page count of the universe. A workshop decision about type, paper and money. Sheet size in centimetres is a different object.
ExactnessCount
Form42
Unitlines
Strengthattested
Whenc. 1454–1455