I don’t recall ever seeing any examples of graphs or other data visualizations (excluding geographic maps) pre-1900’s. Do we have any evidence of the creation and use of graphs before that? For example, would the volume of annual harvests be plotted year after year or just noted numerically?
The modern graph dates to the late 18th century.^1 William Playfair was a notable pioneer, and explicitly discussed the merits of graphs.^2 A sampling of Playfair's graphs can be seen at https://www.gizmodo.com.au/2013/10/these-250-year-old-charts-and-graphs-were-the-very-first-infographics/
Before Playfair, tabular presentation of data was usual. Tabular presentation was still common afterwards, and is still common today, since it provides precision, while the graph provides easy visual comparison.
Playfair wasn't the first modern graph-maker. Johann Lambert, a Swiss-German scientist, was already using graphs in his published work in 1765,^1,3 and can be considered the inventor of the modern graphical presentation of experimental data in science.
Tufte^3 gives an overview of early graphs (including some nice examples of Lambert's work) and other data visualisations, including a 10th or 11th century example.^4
L. Tilling, "Early experimental graphs", British Journal for the History of Science 8, 193-213 (1975).
W. Playfair, The Commercial and Political Atlas, 1786.
E. R. Tufte, The Visual Display of Quantitative Information, Graphics Press, 2001.
H. Gray Funkhouser, "A note on a tenth century graph", Osiris 1, 260-262 (1936).