MEN OF MODERN MATHEMATICS
A History Chart of Mathematicians from 1000 to 1900
Eames Office
International Business Machines Corporation
[EAMES OFFICE] International Business Machines Corporation: MEN OF MODERN MATHEMATICS [A History Chart of Mathematicians from 1000 to 1900]. [Armonk, NY: International Business Machines Corporation, 1966]. Poster. 122 x 186 cm perforated sheet meant to be separated horizontally into two, attached together, and made into a wall chart 2 feet wide by 12 feet 2.875 inches long. Expected light wear to folds and edges. A very good original example, folded as issued.
Original edition. Designed and produced by the Office of Ray and Charles Eames for IBM. This poster is described in detail in "Eames Design" by John and Marilyn Neuhart and Ray Eames (page 311):
"Produced for the IBM Corporation, the "Mathematica" timeline is a slightly modified, printed version of the History Wall from the Mathematica exhibition. It is printed on one wide 48- by- 73.5-inch perforated sheet, which was meant to be separated horizontally into two, attached together, and made into a wall chart 2 feet wide by 12 feet 2.875 inches long. Twenty color runs were required to print the chart.
"The title graphic on the chart describes the printed timeline (in keeping with the original History Wall) as a 'chronological view of mathematics as seen through the biographies of some great mathematicians.' Its subject is the development of mathematics in the Western world from 1100 to 1950. The biographies, separated into life and work sections and include portraits and text, were adapted from the original History Wall. Illustrations and text blocks describing significant historical and cultural events surround the biographical panels, and illustrations with captions outlining major historical milestones are positioned on the lower section of the chart as a general reference.
"As in the exhibition's History Wall, the biographies and mathematical notes were researched and written by Raymond Redheffer of the Department of Mathematics at UCLA. IBM has distributed the chart to schools since 1966."
An exceptional artifact from the days of one of the most successful Corporate Design Progams in history: when IBM decided they needed to update their look, they turned the work over to Paul Rand, Charles Eames, George Nelson, Edgar Kaufmann and Eliot Noyes. They did a good job.