The "inverted pyramid" first described a visual pyramid, not a conceptual pyramid. I found an 1887 article in Time magazine on journalism, describing the inverted pyramid structure.
Specifically, the top of a newspaper article (the display, summarizing the article) consisted of not just the title, but multiple lines of different sizes. First, the title in large capitals. Next, a line of small capitals. Finally, three, four, or more rows of smaller type arranged in the form of an inverted pyramid.
That is, the lines in the heading got progressively shorter, making a visual inverted pyramid, with the most important information first.
Later, the "inverted pyramid" term described the structure of the entire article with the most important parts first, but the metaphor does seem backward.
That is, the lines in the heading got progressively shorter, making a visual inverted pyramid, with the most important information first.
Later, the "inverted pyramid" term described the structure of the entire article with the most important parts first, but the metaphor does seem backward.
https://books.google.com/books?id=rNaEw8DwatwC&pg=PA154&dq=%...