7/5/2016

W.E.B.DuBoissModernistDataVisualizationsofBlackLife

W.E.B.DuBoissModernistDataVisualizationsofBlackLife
byAllisonMeieronJuly4,2016

http://hyperallergic.com/306559/webduboissmodernistdatavisualizationsofblacklife/

1/17

7/5/2016

W.E.B.DuBoissModernistDataVisualizationsofBlackLife

AssessedvaluationofalltaxablepropertyownedbyGeorgianegroes,fromW.E.B.DuBoissTheGeorgiaNegro:AStudy(1900)(via
LibraryofCongress)
Forthe1900ExpositionUniverselleinParis,AfricanAmericanactivistandsociologistW.E.B.DuBoisledthecreationofover60
charts,graphs,andmapsthatvisualizeddataonthestateofblacklife.ThehanddrawnillustrationswerepartofanExhibitofAmerican
Negroes,whichDuBois,incollaborationwithThomasJ.CallowayandBookerT.Washington,organizedtorepresentblackcontributionsto
theUnitedStatesattheworldsfair.

http://hyperallergic.com/306559/webduboissmodernistdatavisualizationsofblacklife/

2/17

7/5/2016

W.E.B.DuBoissModernistDataVisualizationsofBlackLife

W.E.B.DuBoisonanidentificationcardforthe1900ExpositionUniverselle(viaSpecialCollectionsandUniversityArchives,
UniversityofMassachusettsAmherstLibraries)(clicktoenlarge)
ThiswaslessthanhalfacenturyaftertheendofAmericanslavery,andatatimewhenhumanzoosdisplayingpeoplefromcolonized
countriesinreplicasoftheirhomeswerestillcommonatfairs(theruinsofonefromthe1907colonialexhibitioninParisremaininthe
BoisdeVincennes).DuBoisscharts(recentlysharedbydataartistJoshBegleyonTwitter)focusonGeorgia,tracingtheroutesofthe
slavetradetotheSouthernstate,thevalueofblackownedpropertybetween1875and1889,comparingoccupationspracticedbyblacks
andwhites,andcalculatingthenumberofblackstudentsindifferentschoolcourses(2inbusiness,2,252inindustrial).
EllenTerrell,abusinessreferencespecialistattheLibraryofCongress,wroteablogpostinwhichshecitesareportbyCallowaythat
laidoutthe1900exhibitsgoals:
http://hyperallergic.com/306559/webduboissmodernistdatavisualizationsofblacklife/

3/17

7/5/2016

W.E.B.DuBoissModernistDataVisualizationsofBlackLife

ItwasdecidedinadvancetotrytoshowtenthingsconcerningthenegroesinAmericasincetheiremancipation:(1)
Somethingofthenegroshistory(2)educationoftherace(3)effectsofeducationuponilliteracy(4)effectsofeducation
uponoccupation(5)effectsofeducationuponproperty(6)thenegrosmentaldevelopmentasshownbythebooks,high
classpamphlets,newspapers,andotherperiodicalswrittenoreditedbymembersoftherace(7)hismechanicalgeniusas
shownbypatentsgrantedtoAmericannegroes(8)businessandindustrialdevelopmentingeneral(9)whatthenegrois
doingforhimselfthoughhisownseparatechurchorganizations,particularlyintheworkofeducation(10)ageneral
sociologicalstudyoftheracialconditionsintheUnitedStates.
Georgiawasselectedtorepresentthese10pointsbecause,accordingtoCalloway,ithasthelargestnegropopulationandbecauseitisa
leaderinSouthernsentiment.RebeccaOniononSlateVaultnotesthatDuBoiscreatedthechartsincollaborationwithhisstudentsat
AtlantaUniversity,examiningeverythingfromthevalueofhouseholdandkitchenfurnituretotheriseofthenegroesfromslaveryto
freedominonegeneration.

http://hyperallergic.com/306559/webduboissmodernistdatavisualizationsofblacklife/

4/17

7/5/2016

W.E.B.DuBoissModernistDataVisualizationsofBlackLife

PhotographoftheExhibitofAmericanNegroesattheParisExposition,includingW.E.B.DuBoisscharts(viaLibraryofCongress)
EugeneF.Provenzo,Jr,aprofessorattheUniversityofMiami,hasanonlinereconstructionofthe1900exhibit,whichalsofeatured200
booksbyAfricanAmericans,and363photographs.ProvenzowritesthattheexhibitprovidedDuBoiswithanimportantopportunityto
notonlyadvancethesociologicalstudyofblacks,buttobegintobringintofocustheintellectualandsocialaccomplishmentsofblack
Americans,aswellastheirsocial,cultural,andpoliticalexperience.
Lookingatthecharts,theyrestrikinglyvibrantandmodern,almostanticipatingthecrossinglinesofPietMondrianortheintersecting
shapesofWassilyKandinsky.Buttheyareinlinewithinnovative19thcenturydatavisualization,whichincludedFlorenceNightingales
coxcombdiagramsoncausesofwarmortalityandWilliamFarrsdynamiccholeracharts.DuBoishimselfusedhorizontalbargraphs
inhis1899studyThePhiladelphiaNegro.
TheLibraryofCongressdigitizedthesurvivingdatavisualizationimagesfromtheExhibitofAmericanNegroes,withsomeofthese
incredibleearly20thcenturyinfographicsselectedbelow.AccordingtoDuBois,theywereintendedtobeanhoneststraightforward
http://hyperallergic.com/306559/webduboissmodernistdatavisualizationsofblacklife/

5/17

7/5/2016

W.E.B.DuBoissModernistDataVisualizationsofBlackLife

exhibitofasmallnationofpeople,picturingtheirlifeanddevelopmentwithoutapologyorgloss,andaboveallmadebythemselves.

http://hyperallergic.com/306559/webduboissmodernistdatavisualizationsofblacklife/

6/17

7/5/2016

W.E.B.DuBoissModernistDataVisualizationsofBlackLife

AssessedvalueofhouseholdandkitchenfurnitureownedbyGeorgiaNegroes,fromW.E.B.DuBoissTheGeorgiaNegro:AStudy
(1900)(viaLibraryofCongress)

http://hyperallergic.com/306559/webduboissmodernistdatavisualizationsofblacklife/

7/17

7/5/2016

W.E.B.DuBoissModernistDataVisualizationsofBlackLife

Cityandruralpopulation.1890,fromW.E.B.DuBoissTheGeorgiaNegro:AStudy(1900)(viaLibraryofCongress)

http://hyperallergic.com/306559/webduboissmodernistdatavisualizationsofblacklife/

8/17

7/5/2016

W.E.B.DuBoissModernistDataVisualizationsofBlackLife

OccupationsofnegroesandwhitesinGeorgia,fromW.E.B.DuBoissTheGeorgiaNegro:AStudy(1900)(viaLibraryofCongress)

http://hyperallergic.com/306559/webduboissmodernistdatavisualizationsofblacklife/

9/17

7/5/2016

W.E.B.DuBoissModernistDataVisualizationsofBlackLife

http://hyperallergic.com/306559/webduboissmodernistdatavisualizationsofblacklife/

10/17

7/5/2016

W.E.B.DuBoissModernistDataVisualizationsofBlackLife

NumberofNegrostudentstakingthevariouscoursesofstudyofferedinGeorgiaschools,fromW.E.B.DuBoissTheGeorgiaNegro:A
Study(1900)(viaLibraryofCongress)

http://hyperallergic.com/306559/webduboissmodernistdatavisualizationsofblacklife/

11/17

7/5/2016

W.E.B.DuBoissModernistDataVisualizationsofBlackLife

NegropropertyintwocitiesofGeorgia,graphedforSavannahandAtlanta,fromW.E.B.DuBoissTheGeorgiaNegro:AStudy(1900)
(viaLibraryofCongress)

http://hyperallergic.com/306559/webduboissmodernistdatavisualizationsofblacklife/

12/17

7/5/2016

W.E.B.DuBoissModernistDataVisualizationsofBlackLife

Slavesandfreenegroes,graphedbetween1790and1870,fromW.E.B.DuBoissTheGeorgiaNegro:AStudy(1900)(viaLibraryof
Congress)

http://hyperallergic.com/306559/webduboissmodernistdatavisualizationsofblacklife/

13/17

7/5/2016

W.E.B.DuBoissModernistDataVisualizationsofBlackLife

ProportionofnegroesinthetotalpopulationoftheUnitedStates,fromW.E.B.DuBoissTheGeorgiaNegro:AStudy(1900)(via
LibraryofCongress)

http://hyperallergic.com/306559/webduboissmodernistdatavisualizationsofblacklife/

14/17

7/5/2016

W.E.B.DuBoissModernistDataVisualizationsofBlackLife

http://hyperallergic.com/306559/webduboissmodernistdatavisualizationsofblacklife/

15/17

7/5/2016

W.E.B.DuBoissModernistDataVisualizationsofBlackLife

Theriseofthenegroesfromslaverytofreedominonegeneration,fromW.E.B.DuBoissTheGeorgiaNegro:AStudy(1900)(via
LibraryofCongress)

http://hyperallergic.com/306559/webduboissmodernistdatavisualizationsofblacklife/

16/17

7/5/2016

W.E.B.DuBoissModernistDataVisualizationsofBlackLife

DiagramofroutesoftheAfricanslavetradewiththestateofGeorgiastarred,fromW.E.B.DuBoissTheGeorgiaNegro:AStudy(1900)
(viaLibraryofCongress)
ViewmoreofthedatavisualizationbyW.E.B.DuBoisforthe1900ParisExpositiononlineattheLibraryofCongress.

datadatavisualizationGeorgiaRaceW.E.B.DuBois

http://hyperallergic.com/306559/webduboissmodernistdatavisualizationsofblacklife/

17/17