This section titled “Research on Pictogram History” consists of three texts. All focus on pictogram-based expression forms that emerged primarily in North America during the 1930s and 1940s. Here, we refer to expression forms using pictogram as “pictograph” and briefly explain their relationship to pictogram.
The term “pictograph” is sometimes used synonymously with ‘pictogram’ to refer to pictorial symbols. Indeed, consulting the OED (Oxford English Dictionary: 2nd edition, 1989) reveals that both entries for pictograph and pictogram include the meaning “pictorial symbol or sign.” This usage is largely equivalent to the contemporary use of pictogram. However, pictograph also has a secondary meaning not found in pictogram: “pictorial statistics.” According to the OED, the earliest known use of pictograph in this sense appears in Rudolf Modley’s (1906-1976) book How to Use Pictorial Statistics (1937). Modley was involved with the Vienna Social Economic Museum, the organization where Isotype originated, and later moved to the United States to establish and pursue his own independent work.
In this book, Modley emphasized the distinctiveness of pictograph, contrasting them with conventional graph as “abstract” versus ‘concrete’ (Note 1). However, this usage of the term “pictograph” was not yet common at this time and primarily referred to ancient pictographs. Nevertheless, Modley continued to use the term “pictograph” instead of “pictorial statistics,” and in 1940, he changed the name of his company from Pictorial Statistics Inc. to Pictograph Corporation. Modley stated the reason for the change was to expand the scope of the company’s services to include “all types of pictographs, including cartoons, illustrated stories, pictorial diagrams, and illustrations, as well as statistics.” Therefore, during this period, Modley appears to have used “pictograph” as a term referring to “graphics using pictograms in general,” not limited to pictorial statistics.
The title of this website, ‘Pictogram/Pictograph,’ stems from the intention to reexamine the pictograms we encounter daily in modern times from the perspective of this broader expressive form. This allows us to explore alternative paths distinct from the seemingly standardized modern pictogram.
With this background in mind, this section traces the development of pictograph—the pre-standardized form of pictogram expression—focusing primarily on the activities of two individuals. One is Modley, mentioned earlier. After moving to the United States, he began offering visualization services using pictograms. At that time, design trends utilizing pictographic statistics were flourishing in America, and Modley became a central figure in this movement. Moreover, his dedicated efforts toward pictogram standardization from the 1960s onwards make him a valuable bridge between the Isotype era and today’s standardized pictograms.
The other figure is Philip Ragan (1909-1989). Though he identified as an architect, he was completely unknown, and no research has focused on Ragan until now. However, as the text in this section indicates, he and the organization he founded, Sociographics Philadelphia, were an indispensable presence for the development of pictographs in North America.
Designers who collaborated with Modley on early pictogram standardization belonged to this organization, and indeed, the designers Modley’s company hired for pictogram design were also from this group. Furthermore, Ragan later ventured into animation, achieving notable accomplishments as a filmmaker, albeit for a brief period.
We will examine the development of pictograms and the pictographs that utilized them from the 1930s to the 1940s, focusing on the activities of these two individuals.
Note
- Modley, Rudolf, How to use pictorial statistics, Harper & Brothers, p.19, 1937