William Playfair

William Playfair (* September 22 1759 in Dundee, Scotland, † February 11, 1823 in Covent Garden) was a Scottish engineer and economist, the major contributions to the development of information graphics made ​​.

Life and work

Playfair was born in 1759 in Scotland during the time of the Scottish Age of enlightenments. He was the fourth son of the Reverend James Playfair († 1772) the parish of Liff and Benvie supervised near the town of Dundee. One of his brothers was the architect James Playfair (1755-1794) and another mathematician and geologist John Playfair. When his father died, William was thirteen years old, the eldest of the brothers took over the responsibility for the rest of the family. After his apprenticeship, apprenticeship at the Scottish mechanic and inventor Andrew Meikle, he became a draftsman and his personal assistant.

Playfair has collaborated with Claude -François de Lezay - Marnésia, Jean -Jacques Duval d' Eprémesnil (1745-1794) and Jean -Antoine Chais de Soissons on a project of Compagnie du Scioto, and the Vingt- quatre compagnie whose aim was to establish a French colony in North America. The initiative acquired by the U.S. government an area of ​​three million hectares in the state of Ohio which reached down to the Scioto River. Capital of the French colony should be Gallipolis.

Playfair, the invention of both the bar chart and the circuit diagram is attributed; many of his works are still considered school examples of clearly designed information graphics.

Playfair published in 1786 in London 's Commercial and Political Atlas, the 43 time-series analysis and a bar graph - apparently the first of its kind - contained. Playfair's Statistical Breviary, (London, 1801) contains the first known pie chart.

Works (selection)

  • The Increase of Manufactures, Commerce, and Finance, with the extension of Civil Liberty, Proposed in Regulations for the Interest of Money. London: G.J. & J. Robinson. In 1785.
  • The Commercial and Political Atlas: Representing, by Means of Stained Copper - Plate Charts, the Progress of the Commerce, Revenues, Expenditure and Debts of England falling on the Whole of the Eighteenth Century. In 1786.
  • Joseph and Benjamin, a Conversation Translated from a French Manuscript. London: J. Murray., 1787.
  • Thoughts on the Present State of French Politics, and the Necessity and Policy of Diminishing France, for Her Internal Peace, and to secure the tranquility of Europe. London: J. Stockdale. 1793.
  • A general view of the actual force and resources of France, in January, M. DCC. XCIII: to Which is added, a table, shewing the depreciation of assignats, Arising From Their increase enlarge in quantity. J. Stockdale. 1793.
  • The History of Jacobinism, Its Crimes, Cruelties and Perfidies: comprimising of Inquiry into the Manner of Disseminating, under the appearance of Philosophy and Virtue, Principles Which are Equally Subversive of Order, Virtue, Religion, Liberty and Happiness. . Vol I. Philadelphia: W. Cobbett. , 1796.
  • For the Use of the Enemies of England, A Real Statement of the Finances and Resources of Great Britain., 1796.
  • Stricture on the Asiatic Establishments of Great Britain, With a View to an Enquiry into the True Interests of the East India Company. Bunney & Gold. In 1799.
  • Statistical Breviary; Shewing, on a Principle Entirely New, the Resources of Every State and Kingdom in Europe. London: Wallis.1801.
  • An Inquiry into the Permanent Causes of the Decline and Fall of Powerful and Wealthy Nations. London: Greenland & Norris.1805.
  • Statistical Account of the United States of America by DF Donnant. London: J. Whiting. William Playfair, Trans.1805.
  • European Commerce, Shewing New and Secure Channels of Trade with the Continent of Europe. . Vol I. Philadelphia: J. Humphreys. 1807
  • Inevitable Consequences of a reform in Parliament. In 1808.
  • A Fair and Candid Address to the Nobility and Baronets of the United Kingdom; Accompanied with Illustrations and Proofs of the Advantage of Hereditary Rank and Title in a Free Country. , 1809.
  • Outlines of a plan for a New and Solid Balance of Power in Europe. J. Stockdale. In 1813.
  • Political Portraits in This New Era. Vol II London: C. Chapple. , 1814.
  • Supplementary Volume to Political Portraits in This New Era. London: C. Chapple. In 1816.
  • The History of England, from the Revolution in 1688 to the Death of George II Vol II R. Scholey. In 1818.
  • France as it Is, Not Lady Morgan 's France. Vol I. London: C. Chapple. 1819.
  • France as it Is, Not Lady Morgan 's France. Vol II London: C. Chapple. In 1820.
Gallipolis, Ohio Edward Tufte Charles Joseph Minard John Snow (physician)
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