Journal of Technical Writing and Communication Oct 2006

London through Rose-Colored Graphics: Visual Rhetoric and Information Graphic Design in Charles Booth's Maps of London Poverty

Miles A. Kimball

Abstract

In this article, I examine a historical information graphic—Charles Booth's maps of London poverty (1889–1902)—to analyze the cultural basis of ideas of transparency and clarity in information graphics. I argue that Booth's maps derive their rhetorical power from contemporary visual culture as much as from their scientific authority. The visual rhetoric of the maps depended upon an ironic inversion of visual culture to make poverty seem a problem that could be addressed, rather than an insurmountable crisis. This visual rhetoric led directly to significant features of and concepts in western societies, including the poverty line and universal old-age pensions (social security).

Journal
Journal of Technical Writing and Communication
Published
2006-10-01
DOI
10.2190/k561-40p2-5422-ptg2
Topics
multimodality voice and style

Citation Context

Cited by in this index (20)

  1. Hartzog (2025)
    ‘Flatten the curve’: rhetorical data visualizations of a global pandemic
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  2. Özyeşilpınar (2024)
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  3. Santee (2023)
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  4. Li (2022)
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  5. Olman (2022)
    Decolonizing the Color-Line: A Topological Analysis of W.E.B. Du Bois's Infogra…
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Show all 20 →
  1. Winkle (2022)
    Above All Made by Themselves: The Visual Rhetoric of W. E. B. Du Bois’s Data Vi…
    Technical Communication Quarterly
  2. Casas (2021)
    Maps as Inscription of Power: Imposing Visibility on New York’s “Shadow Transit”
    Rhetoric Review
  3. Fraiberg (2021)
    Unsettling Start-Up Ecosystems: Geographies, Mobilities, and Transnational Lite…
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  4. Li (2020)
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  5. Phillips (2019)
    Teaching Public, Scientific Controversy: Genetically Modified Mosquitoes in the…
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  6. Robles (2018)
    Visualizing Certainty: What the Cultural History of the Gantt Chart Teaches Tec…
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  7. Wilson et al. (2018)
    Agency in Action
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  8. Walsh (2018)
    Visual Invention and the Composition of Scientific Research Graphics: A Topolog…
    Written Communication
  9. Ross (2017)
    The Role of Ethics, Culture, and Artistry in Scientific Illustration
    Technical Communication Quarterly
  10. Zhang (2017)
    Assessing Attitudes Toward Content and Design in Alibaba’s Dry Goods Business I…
    Journal of Business and Technical Communication
  11. Zhang (2016)
    Illustrating Beauty and Utility
    Journal of Technical Writing and Communication
  12. Welhausen (2015)
    Power and Authority in Disease Maps
    Journal of Business and Technical Communication
  13. Kimball (2013)
    Visual Design Principles: An Empirical Study of Design Lore
    Journal of Technical Writing and Communication
  14. Moran et al. (2012)
    A Bibliography of Works Published in the History of Professional Communication …
    Journal of Technical Writing and Communication
  15. Yu (2011)
    Visualizing Banking and Financial Products: A Comparative Study of Chinese and …
    Journal of Technical Writing and Communication

Cites in this index (1)

  1. Richards et al. (2005)
    Decorative Color as a Rhetorical Enhancement on the World Wide Web
    Technical Communication Quarterly
Also cites 2 works outside this index ↓
  1. 10.2307/2979109
     ↗
  2. 10.1177/147035720200100306
     ↗
CrossRef global citation count: 33 View in citation network →

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