new books chronicle information graphic visionaries from the 19th century – Designboom

nowadays, data visualization and infographics are the go-to tools to communicate complex information and statistics. but where did these methods originate? and who were the pioneers behind them? well, a new trio of books titled information graphic visionaries delves into the history of information graphics and shines a light on three principal figures: florence nightingale, emma willard and étienne-jules marey. from nightingale’s innovative medical diagrams to willard’s stunning timelines, each book compiles a visual catalog of essays and never-before-seen images. 

(main image emma willard, introductory map detail)
all images courtesy of information graphic visionaries
 
 
emma willard created new ways to understand and depict time, her inventions defined chronology for millions of americans. florence nightingale’s data stories persuaded royals and generals to adopt health reforms, preventing thousands of needless deaths. étienne-jules marey revealed to the human eye what it cannot naturally see; changing not only science but cinema and art too. his poetic book, titled the graphic method (la méthode graphique), was the first about data graphics and has inspired insiders for over a century. it has never been translated to english, until now.

étienne-jules marey, direction of shooting stars
 
 
the international team compiled these exhaustive compositions by researching collections around the world, establishing complete visual catalogs of work from letters, sketches and edits through to completed work, discovered new materials and found long-lost graphics. archival photography has allowed the reproduction of these findings to be printed to scale, revealing details often overlooked and celebrating the works of these three revolutionary creators.

florence nightingale, diagram of the causes of mortality

emma willard, chronographer of american history

emma willard, chronographer of american history

emma willard, map of 1620
emma willard, map of 1620 detail

emma willard, perspective sketch
emma willard, perspective sketch detail

emma willard, temple of time
emma willard, temple of time detail

 

florence nightingale, temperature and mortality of london (detail) by william farr

florence nightingale, cholera diagram by william farr

florence nightingale, the mortality in the hospitals

florence nightingale, diagram B

florence nightingale, diagram F

florence nightingale, diagram F detail

florence nightingale, diagram K

florence nightingale, diagram K detail

étienne-jules marey, england’s trade balance, after playfair

étienne-jules marey, graphical representation of a route, after minard

étienne-jules marey, diagram of the ascent of the zenith balloon to great height

étienne-jules marey, traffic on different roads, after minard

étienne-jules marey, number of crimes committed, after balbi and guerry

étienne-jules marey, graph of train movements on a railway, after ibry
 
 
book info:
 
titles: information graphic visionaries: emma willard: maps of history, florence nightingale: mortality & health diagrams, and étienne-jules marey: the graphic method, la méthode graphique
edited by: RJ andrews
images from: emma willard: maps of history, florence nightingale: mortality & health diagrams, or étienne-jules marey: the graphic method, la méthode graphique
 
designboom has received this project from our ‘DIY submissions‘ feature, where we welcome our readers to submit their own work for publication. see more project submissions from our readers here.
 
edited by: lynne myers | designboom
a diverse digital database that acts as a valuable guide in gaining insight and information about a product directly from the manufacturer, and serves as a rich reference point in developing a project or scheme.

source