1933: London Underground Map

Description: CSS Template London Underground Map September 1933 Summary Title London Underground Transport - Underground railways of London [print code 33-2791] Cartographer Henry Beck Publisher London Transport, printed by Waterlow & Sons, London, Dunstable & Watford Dimensions Overall dimensions: 14cm by 21.5cm. Authenticity All our maps and prints are originals, published at the dated shown above. Description and Condition Description Third edition of the pocket fold out map of the London Underground from September 1933. Distinguishing points of the map are 1) Smoothing of the District Line between Ealing Common and Ealing Broadway, 2) 'London Transport' replaced 'L.P.T.B.' in the bullseye logo and 3) The inclusion of the new escalator connection between Bank and Monument. Condition Very Good Light wear to all edges and folds. 1cm tear to one upper fold crease. Notes Cartographer The first maps showing the whole London Underground system were produced in 1908 as posters and in a new folding pocket map format. Previously maps emphasised just one line, usually in red, whilst the new map used a full range of colour coded lines, overlaid on a simplified street map. Though not understood by all, it was a marked improvement, setting out the basic rules for the next twenty years. As London expanded, the map’s designers started to distort geography by increasing the relative size of the dense central area, making Lines straighter with regular curves. Fred Stingemore, a draughtsman, photographer and occasional poster designer for the Underground, simplified the map further in the 1920s and early 1930s. However, it was Henry Beck, a draughtsman for the Underground since 1924, who produced a new diagrammatic design based on a new set of principles; being the sequence of stations, the ultimate direction of lines and where they intersect rather than geography. The design was limited to horizontal, vertical and 45-degree lines, magnifying the central area and compressing the outer reaches, with stations represented by equally spaced dots. Whilst initially rejected, Beck's map was accepted in 1932. The first pocket map was printed in January 1933. There were requests for a series of small changes during 1933 and 1934, but it seems that any serious reservations had already been overcome by the time the order for the first print run. The map was an instant success. Beck was never fully satisfied with the design and continued to work on it in his spare time, experimenting with new ways of indicating the many interchange stations and the accommodation of new lines. Beck remained the principal designer of the Underground map between 1933 and 1959, and while geographical Underground maps were still produced occasionally, the diagrammatic form was quickly and wholeheartedly accepted. Shipping Standard Shipping All our maps and prints are carefully packed either between sturdy card boards or rolled in robust postal tubes to ensure safe delivery. Returns We offer a full returns policy, no questions asked. Please pay return postage and ship back to us in its original condition within 30 days of purchase.

Price: 950 GBP

Location: Chippenham, UK

End Time: 2024-12-11T08:52:38.000Z

Shipping Cost: 101.85 GBP