Technical and Scientific Illustrations: From Pen to Computer
http://www.stc.org/confproceed/1995/PDFs/PG349352.PDF

Powley, William
STC Proceedings
1995

Abstract:

A brief look at the 19th Century David M. Greene collection of engineering textbooks at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute reveals how illustrations (1) conveyed messages to a specific audience, (2) addressed a subject, and (3) were designed for specific viewing contexts. The technology of computer-aided drawing has reestablished the importance of visual language in scientific documents.