Emoticons from Kurjer Warszawski (5 March 1881) that depict joy, melancholy, indifference and astonishment just like these emoticons did a few weeks later.
via Wikipedia
Emoticons from Kurjer Warszawski (5 March 1881) that depict joy, melancholy, indifference and astonishment just like these emoticons did a few weeks later.
via Wikipedia
From 1882, these graphics were made with 13 symbols (shown at the bottom). This is a modular type called Combination Border No. 16, by Bruce’s New York Type Foundry. A little bit like PETSCII, a little bit more like alpha blox.
Found by Pinwheel Press & thanks to Marcin Wichary for the tip.
Text graphics from an 1889 book: “Eli Perkins. Wit, humor and pathos” by Landon, Melville D. (Melville De Lancey) via.
These proto-emoticons were published in the satirical magazine Puck on 30 March, 1881. Although often described as the first emoticons, they seem to be a rip-off of a Polish magazine from just a few weeks earlier.
Read more or see more emoticons from the 1800’s.
Post updated in 2024.