Of Weekly Wages and the Price of Wheat—And Soaring IQS

Abstract

Graphics can be extremely important in making information understandable. The man who invented statistical graphics was one of those few remarkable men who have changed the way we think. He was also a rogue. Helen Joyce looks at the charts—and the career—of Henry Playfair.

Who is buried in Playfair's Grave?

“…For example, it is not generally known whether he produced any statistical charts in his final year. Most commentators have assumed that the exceptional graphics in his pamphlets regarding agricultural production (1821–2) were his last (see Significance , March 2009, for an example) 5 . They were not.…”