Twee verzamelingen van gedenkmunten van de uitvinding van de boekdrukkunst before 1872

This is a photographic record of two sets of commemorative medals, likely dating to the late 19th century. Each medal is a small world of imagery, struck in metal, probably bronze or silver. Consider how these objects were produced. Minting coins and medals is an inherently reproductive process, one that anticipates distribution and exchange, rather like printed books themselves. The very act of striking a medal— die-stamping the metal under immense pressure —speaks to a society organized around industrial labor. We can consider each of these medals a miniature monument to industry. These medals commemorate the invention of printing, and were themselves made possible by innovations in industrialization. The juxtaposition highlights the increasingly blurred lines between art, technology, and commerce. Ultimately, recognizing the craft and means of production is essential to understanding the full weight of their meaning, inviting us to reconsider traditional boundaries between art and industry.