What does history appear to be like? What method do you use to draw time? From the earliest depictions of time to the most recent, the line has always been the prominent figure in depictions of the passage of time. Almanacs, calendars, charts, and graphs of various kinds are examples of how the linear metaphor is used to depict time in everyday visual representations. Even our everyday speech is replete with references to time having a “before” and an “after,” as well as to time being “long” and “short,” among other things. The timeline has become such a familiar part of our mental furniture that it is often difficult to recall that we were the ones who came up with the idea in the first place. Despite this, the chronology is just about 250 years old in its current form. Before now, the narrative of what happened before has never been presented in its entirety.
Cartographies of Time is the first comprehensive history of graphic representations of time throughout Europe and the United States since 1450, and it is available in paperback or ebook format. Authors Daniel Rosenberg and Anthony Grafton have written a lively history that will captivate readers using colorful characters and unexpected twists and turns.
