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4000 BCE
Cuneiform carvings
One of the earliest systems of writing was invented by the Sumerians. It features wedge-shaped marks on clay tablets. -
2049 BCE
Write like an Egyptian
Part of the Memorial Art Gallery’s encyclopedic collection, this ink-and-papyrus manuscript features hieratic writing, an abridged form of hieroglyphics used for record keeping because it could be written faster. The ancient Egyptians made sheets and scrolls from the stem of the papyrus plant, Cyperus papyrus, from which we get the English word “paper.” -
1215
Medieval manuscripts on the move
This early 13th-century parchment manuscript was written by the scribe Grigor of Tarsos. The fragile manuscript traded hands during the Armenian Genocide in 1915, and came into the Memorial Art Gallery’s collections in 1950, where conservators have treated it in hopes of preserving it for generations to come. In a related effort to preserve cultural heritage objects, Rochester researchers are using multispectral imaging to digitally restore such ancient manuscripts. -
1440
The Gutenberg printing press
In Renaissance Europe, the arrival of mechanical movable type printing introduced the era of mass communication. -
"My Dear Friend"
In this personal letter written in 1850 to fellow activist Amy Post, Frederick Douglass writes about his recent anti-slavery lectures: “I am happy to state that my health is good and my spirit is Right– I spoke in this city last night at Brinley Hall before the audience assembled at antislavery fair, held for the benefit of the American Antislavery Society. The audience was large–and listened with earnest attention.” -
Typewriter technology
From Mental Floss: "Christopher Latham Sholes invented the first typewriter, later sold and turned into the successful Remington typewriter. No one knew who would want to use mechanical writing, and whether the public could be convinced that it was faster than writing by hand. [...] Industrialization helped the product find an audience in need: specialized employees who were used for correspondence and keeping accounts began to rely on the technology to efficiently do their jobs." -
Up close and personal with the PC
From computerhistory.org: "IBM's brand recognition, along with a massive marketing campaign, ignites the fast growth of the personal computer market with the announcement of its own personal computer (PC). The first IBM PC, formally known as the IBM Model 5150, was based on a 4.77 MHz Intel 8088 microprocessor and used Microsoft´s MS-DOS operating system. The IBM PC revolutionized business computing by becoming the first PC to gain widespread adoption by industry." -
Getting mobile
From engadget: "Engineer Neil Papworth sent the first SMS on December 3rd, 1992, when he wrote 'merry Christmas' on a computer and sent it to the cellphone of Vodafone director Richard Jarvis. It was a modest start, but it ultimately changed technology and even social norms." -
Socializing with social media
The Facebook website launches, spurring the new and burgeoning digital sphere of social media. -
Introducing the iPhone
Steve Jobs announces the iPhone at the Macworld convention. -
Images, videos, stories, filters, and chats
Snapchat, an ephemeral photo sharing app, debuts, ushering in mobile messaging communications that emphasize visuals in addition to written text.
