Infographics of centuries

Abstract

Infographics is an area of advanced human communication that is the same age as our civilization and is once again experiencing a renaissance. As a result of visual-based thinking, history has been accompanied by various forms of infographics since time immemorial, even if the concept itself is almost new. Its name is a product of modern thinking of the 20th century, but its illustrative examples that justify its existence are already almost self-evident components of the earliest history of science and culture. The study examines infographics in different ages with the help of six examples: regarding their novelty, informativeness and aesthetic value.

The following representations were examined: Leonardo da Vinci's anatomical drawing of the internal structure of the female body; textual graphics of Christoph Scheiner showing sunspot activity; Carl von Linné's flower watch planned for Uppsala; Florence Nightingale’s rose chart of the loss of life in the Crimean War; the London Underground map created by Harry Beck; a multi-narrative, interactive infographics by Nature magazine about cross-references to its journal articles.