INCREDIBLE 5 FOOT LONG CHART DETAILS 4000 YEARS OF WORLD HISTORY
In the 1920s and 1930s, "outlines" were becoming more and more fashionable. The movement, which dominated the publishing of nonfiction books, aimed to democratize knowledge by condensing disciplines like physics, medicine, and philosophy into more readable and approachable formats. English engineer, bacteriologist, and historian John B. Sparks quickly joined the movement and produced his own "outline."
The Histomap, which was first printed by Rand McNally in 1931, is a colourful, densely packed infographic that distils almost 4,000 years of world history. As time continues its never-ending march toward the present, the design mostly centres on several multicoloured streams that ebb and flow into one another. Beginning at 2000 BCE, each stream charts the development of several civilisations, including the Aegeans, Egyptians, Hittites, Amorites, Iranians, Indians, Huns, and Chinese. The 5-foot-long map eventually shows the "relative power of contemporary governments, nations, and empires," with some societies swelling and others being absorbed as our eyes move across it.
Almost a century later, the Histomap remains a remarkable historical document, particularly when one considers the volume of information it can represent. We don't even need to read individual books anymore because we can search a centralised database and trawl the Internet for resources and answers. "Outlines," which attempted to compile and categorise facts into a single, comprehensive unit, functioned as a kind of early Internet in the 1900s. In this sense, the Histomap could be compared to a smartphone that is designed to be with its owner everywhere. Like a portable guide, the map was actually first sold and packaged in a tidy green wrapper that was simple to unfold while on the go.
The Histomap is unquestionably a feat of informational and graphic design. Nevertheless, it also reveals sentiments toward imperialism, racial groups, and dominance that were prevalent in the 20th century. Since it shows time, the Y-axis on the map is rather simple to understand. In contrast, the X-axis is less clear and appears to represent the "magnitude" of each empire. Equally unclear is Sparks's interpretation of that "size." Did the number of subjects or the size of a civilisation's territory impact how wide it appeared on the map? Maybe it's geopolitical influence, or maybe it's creative or cultural heritage? Its riches? Its military capabilities?
The map's Eurocentricity, which leaves little room for African and American cultures and societies before European colonisation of the "New World" in the fifteenth century, clearly illustrates this issue. As was typical of the period, the subtle distinctions between cultures are similarly diminished, neatly lumped into numerous and frequently racially defined "peoples."
The map's front cover states, "[the] Histomap is clear, vibrant, and shorn of elaboration, holding you riveted as you follow the arcs of power down time's unending course." "From the mud huts of the ancients to the monarchical glitz of the Middle Ages to the vibrant panorama of life in modern-day America, this is the true picture of the march of civilisation."