In 1902, amidst the modernist fervor and technical progress of Barcelona, a publishing gem was born, now preserved in the old collection of the Canary Islands and America Documentation Center (CEDOCAM): the illustrated weekly magazine 'El Mundo Científico'. Subtitled «novedades de la ciencia» (news of science), this publication was more than a simple collection of articles; it offered a visual window into the knowledge of the time through beautiful illustrations, color maps, photogravures, and explanatory drawings.
The magazine defined itself as a «summary newspaper of the latest discoveries and their applications to industry and practical life». Its mission was clear: to bring the latest discoveries and «secrets of industry» to a broad audience, using clear language and strong graphic support. Each issue, around eighteen pages long, combined rigor with readability through regular sections such as «Heroes of Science» (featuring portraits of scientists), «Scientific Novelties» (summaries of foreign magazines), «Industry and Commerce», «Varieties», and «Curious Notes».
The issues preserved at the Center, dating from 1902, are an exceptional testament to how science was understood and communicated over a century ago. Not only for their content but for the quality of their illustrations, which today allow researchers, students, and curious individuals to travel back in time and see science through the eyes of the early 20th century.
If you ever thought that science communication is a recent invention, 'El Mundo Científico' will make you change your mind. Back in 1902, it was understood that science should be beautiful, comprehensible, and useful. This is precisely what this illustrated treasure, part of the CEDOCAM's bibliographic collection, offers.
Visitors are invited to the CEDOCAM to browse this small yet significant monument to knowledge, where each illustration tells a story and each article is a window into the future that was being built then.
