A Basic History

A Basic HistoryA Basic History

Signal fireSignal fire

Hebrew shofarHebrew shofar

Roman bucinaRoman bucina

Cavalry bugleCavalry bugle

Semaphore towerSemaphore tower

WritingWriting

What is writing?What is writing?

Turning sound symbols (talking) into Turning sound symbols (talking) into visual symbolsvisual symbols

Sound symbols are gone in an Sound symbols are gone in an instantinstant

Visual symbols can last foreverVisual symbols can last forever

Lascoux Cave painting ca. Lascoux Cave painting ca. 17,000 BCE17,000 BCE

Just a noun and a verbJust a noun and a verb

Marriage contract ca. Marriage contract ca. 17,000 BCE -17,000 BCE -

pictures reduced to pictures reduced to essentialsessentials

Pictures for abstractionsPictures for abstractions

Means “Man”Means “Man”

Means “Soul”Means “Soul”

Hieroglyph syllablesHieroglyph syllables

Hieroglyph letter - LHieroglyph letter - L

Evolution of pictures to Evolution of pictures to symbolssymbols

CuneiformCuneiform

Phoenician tradersPhoenician traders

Symbols become an alphabetPhoenician ca. 1050 BCE

STSTWhat’s the word?What’s the word?

Greek alphabet added Greek alphabet added vowelsvowels

CaenCaen

L’chaim lochL’chaim loch

Hand written lasted 1000 Hand written lasted 1000 yearsyears

Illuminated textIlluminated text

First change from First change from handwriting to handwriting to

printing came in 888 printing came in 888 CECE

The Diamond Sutra, a The Diamond Sutra, a Buddhist scripture, created Buddhist scripture, created

with block printingwith block printing

Chinese block printing – ca. Chinese block printing – ca. 1000 CE1000 CE

Entire page with one Entire page with one blockblock

Chinese type – entire wordsChinese type – entire wordsca. 1040 CEca. 1040 CE

Another little Another little side tripside trip

The Black Death – 1347-The Black Death – 1347-13511351

After the Black Death people had After the Black Death people had two things:two things: Lots of moneyLots of money A desire to enjoy lifeA desire to enjoy life

Fun and games like fairs and Fun and games like fairs and celebrationscelebrations

The fanciest clothes they could The fanciest clothes they could affordafford

The rich wore The rich wore silk and gold silk and gold wirewire

The middle class The middle class wore woolenswore woolens

Everyone wore Everyone wore linen, especially linen, especially ----

Linen underwearLinen underwear

What this has to do with What this has to do with printingprinting

What was necessary to printing was What was necessary to printing was paperpaper The only thing available up to this The only thing available up to this

time was parchment, expensive time was parchment, expensive and uncommonand uncommon

Linen sheets and underwear wore Linen sheets and underwear wore out and were thrown awayout and were thrown away

Linen rags can be turned into paperLinen rags can be turned into paper

Now there’s plenty of paperNow there’s plenty of paper Everyone uses it as trade and Everyone uses it as trade and

investing increasesinvesting increases ContractsContracts Record keepingRecord keeping

However, because of the Black Death However, because of the Black Death there weren’t enough scribes for all there weren’t enough scribes for all the paperworkthe paperwork

Something had to be doneSomething had to be done

The next, and greatest The next, and greatest change in printing came change in printing came

in 1450 CE in 1450 CE

Johannes Gutenberg c. Johannes Gutenberg c. 1398-14681398-1468

Moveable TypeMoveable Type

Gutenberg PressGutenberg Press

William Caxton – William Caxton – First printer in EnglishFirst printer in English

Spelling was Spelling was idiosyncraticidiosyncratic

KnightKnight

KnifeKnife

First Folio of First Folio of ShakespeareShakespeare

Images could be printedImages could be printed

Franklin’s Pennsylvania Franklin’s Pennsylvania GazetteGazette

American Magazine - American Magazine - 17581758

Poor Richard’s AlmanackPoor Richard’s Almanack

Paine’s Common SensePaine’s Common Sense

Sheet-fed rotary press - Sheet-fed rotary press - 18631863

Roll-fed rotary press - Roll-fed rotary press - 18661866

Mergenthaler’s Linotype Mergenthaler’s Linotype Machine - 1884Machine - 1884

NewspapersNewspapers

Started in the early 1600sStarted in the early 1600s Corontos, one page Dutch news Corontos, one page Dutch news

sheets imported to Englandsheets imported to England Diurnals – English news sheets Diurnals – English news sheets

started 1641started 1641

First American First American newspapernewspaper

Boston News-Letter – Boston News-Letter – 17041704

New-England CourantNew-England Courant

Zenger’s Weekly JournalZenger’s Weekly Journal

Effects of these 3 Effects of these 3 newspapersnewspapers

a newspaper with popular support a newspaper with popular support could challenge authority could challenge authority

financial independence can lead to financial independence can lead to editorial independence editorial independence

government should not control the government should not control the press because it can stifle the truth press because it can stifle the truth

The Daily SunThe Daily Sun

Joseph PulitzerJoseph Pulitzer

William Randolph HearstWilliam Randolph Hearst

Explosion of USS Maine in Explosion of USS Maine in Havana HarborHavana Harbor

Canons of Journalism and Canons of Journalism and Statement of Principles – Statement of Principles –

1923 1923 ““The right of a newspaper to attract The right of a newspaper to attract

and hold readers is restricted by and hold readers is restricted by nothing but considerations of public nothing but considerations of public welfare.” welfare.”

The beginnings of the modern ideal of The beginnings of the modern ideal of journalism: be objective, don’t be journalism: be objective, don’t be sensationalistic, operate for the sensationalistic, operate for the public goodpublic good

MagazinesMagazines

American magazines – American magazines – 1740s1740s

Saturday Evening PostSaturday Evening Post

Keys to successKeys to success

Rapidly rising literacy ratesRapidly rising literacy rates Lower printing costsLower printing costs Spread of social movements like Spread of social movements like

abolition and labor reformabolition and labor reform Made for compelling readingMade for compelling reading

The use of specialty writers rather The use of specialty writers rather than general reporters or book than general reporters or book authorsauthors

Growth of magazinesGrowth of magazines

Rise of women’s magazines that Rise of women’s magazines that advertisers lovedadvertisers loved

Postal Act of 1879 that lower mailing Postal Act of 1879 that lower mailing rates for magazinesrates for magazines

Railroads crisscrossing the entire Railroads crisscrossing the entire countrycountry

Made magazines the first truly Made magazines the first truly national mediumnational medium

Life MagazineLife Magazine