www.astralcodexten.com/p/crime-as-proxy-for-disorder
2 corrections found
There was no graffiti: spray paint had not yet been invented.
Graffiti existed long before 1950, and aerosol spray paint was already being marketed before 1950 as well.
Full reasoning
This sentence gets both parts wrong.
First, graffiti predates spray paint by centuries or millennia. National Geographic describes "2,000-year-old scrawling" and other ancient graffiti uncovered in Rome's Colosseum. The U.S. National Park Service also describes "Kilroy was here" as a "popular piece of graffiti" used by American troops during World War II.
Second, spray paint had already been introduced before 1950. Krylon's official company history says Howard E. Kester founded Krylon in 1947 and devised an aerosol method for applying paints and coatings.
So it is not correct to say there was "no graffiti" before 1950, nor that spray paint "had not yet been invented" before 1950.
3 sources
- What Does First-century Roman Graffiti Say? | National Geographic
Work at Rome's Colosseum turns up 2,000-year-old scrawling... experts discovered layers of inscriptions ... from antiquity.
- Kilroy Was Here (U.S. National Park Service)
"Kilroy was here" ... was a popular piece of graffiti drawn by American troops ... throughout World War II.
- About Us | Krylon® Spray Paint
In 1947, Philadelphia businessman Howard E. Kester ... founded Krylon ... and devised a way to apply paints and coatings ... aerosol.
but graffiti had not yet been invented.
Graffiti was not a post-1950 invention; it existed in antiquity and was also common during World War II.
Full reasoning
This claim is historically incorrect. Graffiti existed long before the mid-20th century.
National Geographic reports that restoration work at Rome's Colosseum uncovered ancient graffiti dating back about 2,000 years. The U.S. National Park Service likewise describes "Kilroy was here" as a popular form of graffiti used by American troops during World War II.
So while some modern forms of graffiti may have changed over time, graffiti itself had already been around for centuries and certainly was not something that "had not yet been invented."
2 sources
- Kilroy Was Here (U.S. National Park Service)
"Kilroy was here" ... was a popular piece of graffiti drawn by American troops ... throughout World War II.
- What Does First-century Roman Graffiti Say? | National Geographic
Work at Rome's Colosseum turns up 2,000-year-old scrawling... experts discovered layers of inscriptions ... from antiquity.