“Hindsight is Always 20/20″ (2008) by R. Luke Du Bois
Du Bois ran the public addresses of every U. S. president from Washington to Bush 43 through an algorithm that mapped their most commonly used words. He then arranged these into a Snellen eye chart format to highlight clarity of vision.
From the museum site’s article:
DuBois’ letterpress prints reveal a sharp picture of what was on the mind of each leader—from George Washington to George W. Bush—as he spoke to the American people. They also chronicle the issues and ideas that have challenged and inspired our country.
For Harrison, the words most used refer to matters of industrial progress. Improving working conditions and building up better industry dominate his political speeches.
The fishing rights controversy against Canada features prominently in these words as well. Canada claimed fishing a sealing rights in the Aleutian Islands, off the coast of Alaska. Harrison’s navy dramatically seized Canadian ships. Negotiations with the United Kingdom required international arbitration, and resulted in the Canadians paying reparations to the US in 1898.
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