Tag Archives: 1800s

Canadian syllabics, created by an English missionary in 1827. Used to write a variety of indigenous languages, among which Cree, Ojibwe, Inuktitut.

Ads in the Brooklyn Daily Eagle, 1873-1874 found by Paul Soulellis. ASCII advertising was quite popular at the time, and these are almost like concrete poetry advertising?


yesterdaysprint:

The Osage City Free Press, Kansas, April 26, 1888

Yet another type dude.

“A dude”, 1886. Published in the poetry section of the January issue of The Undergraduate, Middlebury’s newspaper. Source, via.

Written graphics from 1892. First two by T.F. Adams, the next one by Frank Baunelle, and the final one by an unknown artist. via James Ryan.

Winners in the Chicago Tribune’s typewriter competitions held in 1895. Found by James Ryan.

Typewriter art by Frederick Carles, 1895. Forgotten pioneer work found by James Ryan.


Emoticons from 1893, published in the German Kreisblatt für den Kreis Malmedy. h/t Gleb Albert.

yesterdaysprint:

St. Louis Post-Dispatch, Missouri, August 30, 1896

GOLD! GOLD! MY PRECIOUS GOLD!


In the 1870′s, Brooklyn Furniture Company spent more on ads than any other furniture company. And they did plenty of text graphics!

More in this ASCII-detective story.