Atlases have been around for centuries, but up until the 1950s, most were maps, pure and simple. Former Bauhaus master Herbert Bayer’s unique contribution (not simply as a designer, but as an author) was to show that maps did more than illustrate space and place. Maps were, he proffered, a record of time and perhaps even a tool of prognostication. The 1953 World Geo-Graphic Atlas, published by Walter Paepcke’s Container Corporation of America (CCA), is a monument to Bayer’s singular vision, a precursor to current trends in information design, and an example of how complex data can be made accessible. (via Bauhaus Mapping: Herbert Bayer’s Innovative Atlas)
