There is a magic in graphs. The profile of a curve reveals in a flash a whole situation - the life history of an epidemic, a panic, or an era of prosperity. The curve informs the mind, awakens the imagination, convinces. is a quote by Henry David Hubbard (1870-1943) who was the first secretary of the National Bureau of Standards; serving from 1901 to 1938. The quote appears in his introduction to the 1939 book "Graphic Presentation" by William Brinton. The entire one-page essay by Mr. Hubbard is an outstanding description of the value of graphical displays and can be found at http://www.archive.org/stream/graphicpresentat00brinrich#page/2/mode/1up