Visual Correspondence

Analysing Letters through Data Visualisation

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  • Alfred Russel Wallace Letters Online

    Alfred Russel Wallace Letters Online

    If you came up with one of the most important ideas in history, would you give up the credit? Alfred Russel Wallace developed the Theory of Evolution independently to Darwin, but held off publishing his ideas until the older man published his. Explore the world of one of Science's unsung heroes.

  • Seán MacDiarmada Letters

    Seán MacDiarmada Letters

    Together with his close friend, Thomas Clarke, Seán MacDiarmada was crucial to the 1916 Easter Rising and a signatory of the Irish Proclamation. Discover more through his correspondence.

  • Éamonn Ceannt Family Correspondence

    Éamonn Ceannt Family Correspondence

    A staunch advocate of Irish culture and language, founding the Pipers Club and a prominent member of the Gaelic League, Éamonn Ceannt was also a revolutionary. He was one of the seven signatories of the Irish Proclamation in the 1916 Easter Rising. After his execution his wife and sisters were prominent in creating the new Irish State. Discover more through their correspondence.

  • Howard Phillips Lovecraft Correspondence

    Howard Phillips Lovecraft Correspondence

    Creator of the terrifying Cthulhu mythos, Howard Phillips Lovecraft, a.k.a. the Sage of Providence, was often less than wise in his divisive opinions. But he was an inveterate letter writer and throughout his life he cultivated a loyal network of correspondents, many of whom were pioneers of weird fiction too. Explore his network.

A line

Letters on this Date

  • From Clemens, Samuel L. To Edwards, A. M. (1880)
  • From Weber, Max Maria (1867)
  • From Theobald, Elizabeth To Clemens, Cyril (1956)
  • From Lovecraft, Howard P. To Strauch, Carl F. (1931)
  • From Darwin, Charles Robert To Carus, J. V. (1881)
  • From Hitchcock, Ethan Allen To Hawthorne, Sophia Peabody (1862)
  • From Gutierrez, Carlos To Hemingway, Ernest (1934)
  • From Weber, Max Maria von To einen ehem. Redakteur der Wiener Presse (lt. Stargardt) (1864)
  • From Story-Maskelyne, M. H. N. To Darwin, Charles Robert (1871)

More letters for 8th December

Letter writing is a rich and ancient form of communication. It offers deep insights into the thoughts, feelings and experiences of people from every walk of life in a more immediate way than almost any other medium. As well as the content of letters, the set of circumstances surrounding a letter's creation, transmission and reception tells a story in itself.

Data visualisation strives to make sense of the large and complex, condensing and clarifying complicated data in a single image. It can achieve an impact that words simply cannot replicate.

Visual Correspondence uses data visualisation to makes sense of a person's life through their correspondence. Who they wrote to, who wrote to them, when and where - these flashes of detail unveil a rich narrative about people and our past through images.

As well as providing tools to visualise huge collections of correspondence, in bringing together detail on 165327 letters from 56 collections, Visual Correspondence provides a new way to explore the letters themselves. Links to the full text of the letters are provided were possible and added information helps put the letters in context. Hopefully in exploring this site, you will start to see correspondence in a new way.

Choose a collection and start to visualise

Niall O'Leary Services accepts no liability in respect of the accuracy of data on this website. All data on this site is presented as is and visitors use it at their own risk. Outside of metadata no letter content has been used on this website. All letters and detail on all people's letters are listed.