A short history (and even shorter future) of information visualisation

A short history (and even shorter future) of information visualisation

30 March 2015

Erik DuvalDept. Computerwetenschappen, KULeuvenhttp://erikduval.wordpress.com & @ErikDuval

1

Charles Joseph Minard, 1781-1870Napoleon’s Russian Campaign

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Carte figurative des pertes successives en hommes de l'Armée Française dans la campagne de Russie 1812-1813

See  also:  E. R. Tufte. Beautiful evidence. New York, 2006.

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William Playfair, 1759-1823line graph, bar chart, pie chart

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The Commercial and Political Atlas; Representing, by Means of Stained Copper-Plate Charts, the Exports, Imports, and General Trade of England, at a Single View. To which are Added, Charts of the Revenue and Debts of Ireland, Done in the Same Manner by James Correy. 1786Statistical Breviary, 1801

bar chart:, 1786 neither space nor time

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line/area chart based on time series, 1786

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pie chart, 1801

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Florence Nightingale, 1820-1910Polar Area Diagram, 1858

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Nightingale, F., Notes on Matters Affecting the Health, Efficiency, and Hospital Administration of the British Army. Founded Chiefly on the Experience of the Late War. Presented by Request to the Secretary of State for War. Privately printed for Miss Nightingale, Harrison and Sons, 1858.

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http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Florence_Nightingale#/media/File:Nightingale-mortality.jpghttp://www.uh.edu/engines/epi1712.htm

Florence Nightingale’s diagram showing the dramatic reduction in death rates in the hospitals of Scutari following the changes she introduced Source: Nightingale (1858)

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http://fm.ea-tel.eu

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http://fm.ea-tel.eu

John Snow, 1813-1858Cholera, 1854

14http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Snow_(physician)

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/8/82/National_Chemical_Landmark%2C_Dr_John_Snow_-_geograph.org.uk_-_1073811.jpg

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On proceeding to the spot, I found that nearly all the deaths had taken place within a short distance of the [Broad Street] pump. There were only ten deaths in houses situated decidedly nearer to another street-pump. In five of these cases the families of the deceased persons informed me that they always sent to the pump in Broad Street, as they preferred the water to that of the pumps which were nearer. In three other cases, the deceased were children who went to school near the pump in Broad Street...

I had an interview with the Board of Guardians of St James's parish, on the evening of the 7th inst [7 September], and represented the above circumstances to them. In consequence of what I said, the handle of the pump was removed on the following day.

Harry Beck, 1903-1974London Underground, 1933

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http://www.nndb.com/people/948/000113609/http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Harry_Beck#/media/File:Beck_Plaque.jpg

London Underground Map by Harry Beck in 1933

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K. Field and W. Cartwright AM. Becksploitation: The over-use of a cartographic icon. The Cartographic Journal, 51(4):343–359, 2014.

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https://www.flickr.com/photos/jamiethemapquinn/8966983573/23

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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vc1bq0qIKoA

?@ErikDuval  

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