The Invention of Lithography

"The Invention of Lithography" by Alois Senefelder is an early 19th-century chronicle that recounts the life of Alois Senefelder, the creator of lithography, highlighting its transformative impact on art and printing. The story begins by looking into Senefelder's origins, showing his early love of theater and writing. It traces his move from a playwright to a very motivated inventor, driven by the need to efficiently print his own plays. Senefelder faced many printing challenges, which led him to develop lithography by experimenting on his own. The book prepares us for Senefelder to explain his invention in detail, along with the methods he had for it, and the difficulties he encountered while improving his innovative printing method.