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Heritage 2.0

From the end of the Book to cultural dating

Thought and observations about new chances for the cultural heriage and arts sectors that come about through networked media and user participation.

Willem Velthoven 12

Cultural Dating

on the future of museums, archiving and cultural institutions

Posted by: Willem Velthoven, 29 Nov 2007, 11:14

TIME magazine choose YOU, the internet user, as person of the year 2006. Meanwhile however, the cultural sector is not making many moves to harness the potential of the enormous amounts of active internet users.

Willem Velthoven 2

vol. 9#4 / 10#1 The Printed Issue

Editorial: This Book will disappear

Posted by: Willem Velthoven, 28 Nov 2007, 22:05

    Since the appearance of issue zero in 1985, Mediamatic has stubbornly resisted the disappearance of the book. We have made ever more beautiful, thick and expensive issues.

    We have greatly enjoyed this, and you, too, the reader of our magazine, have bought copies and renewed your subscriptions time and time again.

    • Tag people

      Average price per book in Europe-

      The earliest printed books were not a lot cheaper than hand copied ones... The price is expressed in monthly wages. Research assistant Pia Kolwe.

      • Tag people

        Average price per book in Europe-

        The earliest printed books were not a lot cheaper than hand copied ones... The price is expressed in monthly wages. Research assistant Pia Kolwe.

        • Tag people

          Average Print Run per book in Europe-

          Printing was faster than writing but still an incredibly tedious process in the early days. Later developments like the rotary press, but also mass litaracy, drowe up these numbers considerably. Research assistant Pia Kolwe.

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            Average weight of a book in Europe-

            The first Gutenberg Bible weighted around 22 KGs. Hardly usable. Given the fact that the typface used was very hard to read by current standards, it amazing that it was the start of a revolution. Current book weight is close to zero after the invention of the pocket. What is the weight of a E-Book title? Research assistant Pia Kolwe.

            • This runs directly and impertinently counter to a trend that has been around much longer than our periodical. Mediamatic has grown from 48 pages to 144. From 190 to 500 grams. At the end of more than five centuries of development in which books have kept on getting lighter and cheaper. Gutenberg printed his first Bible in the middle of the 15th century. The monster weighed 22 kg. Since that time the book has continually become lighter. The price, too, has gone down.
            The drop in price and weight made possible the explosive spread of the book. Thus you could say that the disappearance of the book made its spread possible.
            ...

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            Tagged with: Angst, Future, Evolution, Hardware, Folklore, Nostalgia, Economy, media, book, printing, movable type