Every so often, I unexpectedly come across something that’s almost magical in its awesomeness, and this astounding data visualization/map from 1855 is one of those things. I mean, just look at how gorgeous these sample plates are:

Designed by Joseph Stummer, these pages chart the history of the Kaiser Ferdinands-Nordbahn from its foundation in 1838 through to 1853. Each lithographic plate documents two years in astounding detail, with data shown for just about every aspect of the railway: the number of locomotives and cars of different types, revenue sources, freight carried (coal, salt, tobacco, grain, and cattle), dividends paid to shareholders and more. Injections of capital are shown as gold spilling from a cornucopia, while the beautifully drawn engines and carriages at the top of each page represent the latest rolling stock for the years shown. Even the sky behind the trains has meaning: bright sunshine represents financial success, while dark clouds indicate a downturn in the company’s fortunes. All in all, some 18 separate statistics are tracked for each year.

Best of all, there’s a small map of the network shown for each year, so you can see the expansion of the railway as time goes by. In later years, a thin red line for the burgeoning telegraph system can be seen parallel to the blue rail lines, showing how these two networks developed side-by-side in an almost symbiotic relationship. Notes at the bottom of the page outline each addition to the network as well as other historical events.

All in all, this is an astounding piece of early data visualization: beautifully presented, if almost a little overwhelming in the sheer amount of data that it includes. There’s a full page of accompanying notes in German, French and English to help readers interpret what they’re seeing. It’s definitely worth clicking on the source link below to see the whole thing in glorious high-resolution (you can even read the name plates on the locomotives!). Five stars!

Source: David Rumsey Map Collection