Beau Bookbinding at the British Library..
Michaela MJCP
Beautiful Science
Attention to all lovers of infographics! ‘Beautiful Science’ at the British Library will both amaze and inform you with an array of scientific illustrations. From geography to taxonomy to demographics, ‘Beautiful Science’ shows us how we have painted the bigger picture with tremendous detail.
The show has a considered selection of graphics and books, both new and old, presenting graphs and diagrams to help us comprehend the world around us. From geographical trade winds to the ‘Miasma’ mortality rates in London, ‘Beautiful Science’ not only provides an interesting insight into scientific analysis, but also historic documentation for how scientific theories have changed.
The success of these illustrations is their efficacy and their inherent intention to inform at a glance. The data has been designed with clarity and careful arrangement, and the exhibition is a beautiful display of different approaches to presenting information. Some were an abstract representation where as others illustrated an idea like Ernst Haeckle’s drawn response to taxonomy and classification.
If you‘re interested in science, history and design I would recommend visiting this wonderful exhibition. The excellent curation of this exhibition provides a big picture for information graphics and through careful selection provides an interesting context for how and why we analyse.
The British Library
96 Euston Rd, King's Cross, London NW1 2DB