Large-format German Braille edition of »John’s Gospel«, 1904

DAS EVANGELIUM DES JOHANNES [GOSPEL OF JOHN]. Nach der deutschen Übersetzung D. Martin Luthers in Braille'scher Punktschrift für Blinde. Durchgesehen im Auftrag der Deutschen Evang. Kirchenkonferenz. [After the German translation of D. Martin Luther in Braille for the blind. Edited by order of the German Evangelical Church Confederation.] Stuttgart: Württembergischen Bibelanstalt (Blindenanstalt Nikolauspflege) 1904.

Folio (35:28 cm). 101 numbered leaves of voluminous paper, relief printed on both side with Braille letters, bound in the original publishers's black cloth with typographic title on white labels as well as spine title with relief printed Braille letters.

Exceptionally rare, large-format Braille edition of the Gospel of John from the printing office of the Stuttgart »Nikolauspflege«, a charitable institution for the blind.

Contents, printer: The print, executed on voluminous paper with the method of relief printing of Braille type fonts, on 101 numbered pages contains the complete »Gospel of John«, the letters being printed on both sides except for the first two leaves (title, Braille alphabet). The printing office of the »Nikolauspflege« institution for the blind was established by Christian Sackmann in 1869 in an effort to train blind people for manual work. A few years later Braille types were also available to the printers, which is why from then on song books and Bibles for the Stuttgart Bible Institute were printed not only in conventional letterpress like before, but also in Braille, for example the »Gospel of John« (1886) in an edition of only 300 copies, a later printing of which is presented here. In 1898, 1900 and 1903 respectively, editions of the Gospels of Matthew, Lucas and Markus followed. The revenues earned by the printing shop became an important source of funding for the Nikolauspflege. (Cf. Häuser/Krug).

Condition: Spine label with two small faults, Cover with minor signs of wear, otherwise in fine condition.

Reference: Oliver Häuser and Stefanie Krug: Den Menschen sehen. 150 years of Nikolauspflege. Stuttgart: 2006, p. 18.