Industrialization
The time of the industrial revolution brought about many changes that affected the course of art and graphic design. Several new inventions allowed for the presses to become more efficient and more productive. Instead of printing one sheet at a time, the new cast iron presses had larger tables as well as heavier pressure. Also paper was now being made in machines and not by hand which also increased the speed of paper production. Because of all these exciting changes, the literacy rates increased as businessmen and publishers promoted inexpensive educational materials.
Photography was also developed during this time and images were reproduced even faster with more details. No longer does an artist have to make an engraving for the weekly publications. A photograph was much easier to capture and reproduce. These new technologies allowed images to circulate much more freely, ideas blossomed, and new ways of thinking emerged.
Culturally, Europe and the United States moved towards romanticism where nature, passion, and imagination flourished. The romantics rebelled against the ways of the old: they promoted public education, introduced images and text on a daily basis, and reinforced the standards of style and beauty. Knowledge was no longer limited to the upper class, rather it was integrated into the working and middle classes.
1. Newspapers were printed easily and distributed daily as a result of the invention of the cast iron press. Also photographs were used instead of engravings which drastically decreased the amount of time it took to produce an illustration.
With the invention of photography, illustrations no longer had to be planned out weeks in advance. An article could be written on the same day as making the image. Instead of 4-6 weeks of planning, engraving, and proofing, a photograph would only take several hours. The reproducibility of photographs also allowed more copies to be made, since the plate did not wear down after several runs through the press.
Illustrated Papers
The development of illustrated papers is perhaps one of the most radical contributions of the industrial revolution. In the beginning, papers focused mainly on scandals and other 'news' that was merely for entertainment. The images used were found in stock agencies. However, the more liberal businessmen brought forth new material that was based on education. Some publishers sought to provide this new printed material as a means to make money.
For pennies, people could buy papers and gain extra knowledge for the betterment of themselves rather than read tabloids for the entertainment and pleasure. The consumption of information quickly fueled imagination and fantasy.
Niches were developed as different types of papers/magazines were developed. Some were for a broad audience and others catered to the more discriminating audiences. Self image could very well have been started during this time with women's journals that presented the subject of beauty through fashions of the day.
More technical manuscripts were developed such as the Mechanic's Magazine but none were as successful as papers about scandals. Perhaps people are more drawn to something that takes them away from the daily life of themselves and into the daily lives of others. Much is the same in today's society. Far more people read fashion magazines or tabloids than The Journal of the American Medical Association. Probably even the people who read JAMA read Vogue as well!
Books and Printed Images
Now that more people can and like to read, novels and poems gained a wider audience. It was not until the invention of the steam powered press was book widely available. While the production was catching up to the demand, many of the books of poetry and fiction were still decorated with illustrations.
2. Examples of illustrations from an eighteenth century alphabet book.
Although books were being mass produced during this time, there was not much care put into them. Often times the pages bled into each other and the text smeared because of worn type. The layout was not done with thought of creating wide margins or well leaded lines. Instead they were produced with more economical means. The production grew tremendously during this time but the graphics element still had much catching up to do.
Books were not the only printed material to gain popularity during the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries. Images became a widely reproduced commodity as well. In the beginning of the eighteenth century, printed images were a luxury as they were copper engravings or relief woodblocks. However with the development of lithography, the production capabilities expanded exponentially. Also the development of photography brought about new ways of seeing and producing images.
3. An early (perhaps the first) daguerreotype made by Louis Daguerre in 1837.
Advertising and Typography
The once public notices of laws or decrees are now becoming more advertisements for lost possessions, sales of properties, or criminal behavior in the neighborhood. The notices were carefully composed with extra attention to graphic details and line breaks. This industry grew and the advertisers and printers began to invest in their designs to attract more clientele. People were consuming these designs at an extremely rapid rate which in turn created more opportunities for emerging graphic artists.
Posters, handbills, and other advertisements were quickly becoming common place in urban centers where there were professional billposters! Typefaces had to be designed so that on a crowded wall plastered with many different posters, the type would stand out and still be legible. The art of type was only limited to the imagination of the designer.
4. Early 19th century handbill.
Works Cited
"The Wonderful World of Early Photography." 28 Oct. 2008
DorsetLife On-Line Magazine. 28 Oct. 2008
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