The Computer Graphics Book of Knowledge

Computer graphics began as a way for scientists and engineers to visualize data, then developed into an academic discipline, an industrial design tool, and a medium for art and entertainment. Its roots extend to the 1940s: MIT mathematicians Parry Moon and Domina Eberle Spencer calculated global illumination and assembled a color image by hand from paper samples, since no suitable display existed. In the 1950s, artists such as Ben Laposky and John Whitney Sr. used analog computers and motion-control mechanisms to create abstract imagery, while researchers and companies explored screen displays, plotters, light pens, and computer-aided design.

Key milestones included MIT’s Whirlwind graphics display and the SAGE light pen, early image processing and film recording, and General Motors and IBM’s DAC-1, a pioneering drawing system that could scan designs and send results to film, plotters, or machine tools. The 1960s brought broader research in universities and at Bell Labs, where artists and programmers used digital computers and film recorders to make animated works. Government funding helped establish the field’s technical foundations, including advances such as hidden-line removal, interactive CAD, and animation systems. At the same time, Boeing, architecture firms, and other industries put graphics to practical use. The account traces a gradual shift from experimental analog techniques and specialized research machines toward digital imagery, commercial applications, and eventually film and television production.