Konrad von Megenberg Buch der Natur 1481

Johann Bämler (sometimes Johannes Bämler, Johann Baemler or Hans Bemler, 1430–1503) was a printer, illuminator and bookseller from

Augsburg Augsburg (; bar , Augschburg , links=https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Swabian_German , label=Swabian German, , ) is a city in Swabia, Bavaria, Germany, around west of Bavarian capital Munich. It is a university town and regional seat of the ...

, Germany. Bämler is mentioned in Augsburgian city records from 1453 as a scribe and from 1477 as a printer. He appears to have begun his career as an illuminator and

calligrapher Calligraphy (from el, link=y, καλλιγραφία) is a visual art related to writing. It is the design and execution of lettering with a pen, ink brush, or other writing instrument. Contemporary calligraphic practice can be defined as "t ...

; a few illuminated manuscript pages and books decorated by calligraphy by his hand survive to this day (in the

Free Library of Philadelphia The Free Library of Philadelphia is the public library system that serves Philadelphia. It is the 13th-largest public library system in the United States. The Free Library of Philadelphia is a non-Mayoral agency of the City of Philadelphia gover ...

Bavarian State Library The Bavarian State Library (german: Bayerische Staatsbibliothek, abbreviated BSB, called ''Bibliotheca Regia Monacensis'' before 1919) in Munich is the central " Landesbibliothek", i. e. the state library of the Free State of Bavaria, the big ...

Herzog August Library The Herzog August Library (german: link=no, Herzog August Bibliothek — "HAB"), in Wolfenbüttel, Lower Saxony, known also as ''Bibliotheca Augusta'', is a library of international importance for its collection from the Middle Ages and ear ...

, Morgan Library & Museum and others). He probably learnt the art of print-making in the shop of

Günther Zainer Günther Zainer (or Zeyner or Zeiner) (died 1 October 1478) was the first printer in Augsburg, where he worked from 1468 until his death; he produced about 80 books including two German editions of the Bible and the first printed calendar. He ...

. The first printed book by Bämler appeared in April 1472, and the first illustrated printed book from his workshop in September 1473. He based his

typeface A typeface (or font family) is the design of lettering that can include variations in size, weight (e.g. bold), slope (e.g. italic), width (e.g. condensed), and so on. Each of these variations of the typeface is a font. There are thousands o ...

s on local cursive script, and they are considered to have contributed to the development of the

Schwabacher The German word Schwabacher (pronounced ) refers to a specific style of blackletter typefaces which evolved from Gothic Textualis (''Textura'') under the influence of Humanist type design in Italy during the 15th century. Schwabacher typesetti ...

. Approximately half of the books printed in his printing office were illustrated with

woodcuts Woodcut is a relief printing technique in printmaking. An artist carves an image into the surface of a block of wood—typically with gouges—leaving the printing parts level with the surface while removing the non-printing parts. Areas that ...

or other decorative elements. He belonged to the guild of painters, glassmakers, woodcut-makers and goldbeaters, and eventually reached a high position within the guild. His printing activity ceased in 1495.

External links

Digitised version of his first printed book, ''Lehr und Unterweisung'', from the Bavarian State LibraryChronik von allen Kaisern, Königen und Päpsten
Augsburg, Anton Sorg, 9 Sept. (Sampstag na¨chst nach Vnser Frawen Gepurt) 1480. From th

at the

Library of Congress The Library of Congress (LOC) is the research library that officially serves the United States Congress and is the ''de facto'' national library of the United States. It is the oldest federal cultural institution in the country. The library ...

Buch der Natur.
Augsburg, Johann Bämler, 20 Aug. (Montag vor S. Bartholomaeus) 1481. From th

at the

Summa confessorum.
German (Middle High German). Augsburg Johann Bämler, 25 Sept (Freytag vor Michaelis) 1472. From th

at the

Collationes patrum XXIV.
German. Augsburg, Johann Bämler, 18 Dec. (Freitag vor Weihnachten) 42. From th
Lessing J. Rosenwald Collection
at the

Historia de preliis.
German. Augsburg, Johann Bämler, 28 June (Montag nach Johannes Baptistae) 1473. From th

at the

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Bamler, Johann 1430 births 1503 deaths German printers German booksellers Printers of incunabula Businesspeople from Augsburg