The Computer Graphics Book of Knowledge

Computer Graphics originated in the 1950s as a visualization tool at research centers like Bell Labs and Boeing, then developed further at universities in the 1960s-70s before breaking into broadcast video and major motion pictures in the late 1970s and early 1980s. Early pioneers included MIT professors who created radiosity lighting models in the 1940s using hand-selected paper samples, followed by artists and engineers at institutions like Bell Labs and Boeing who experimented with analog computers and vector graphics in the 1950s. Today, CG research continues globally with major contributions from entertainment and production companies like Industrial Light and Magic.