London Underground map from 1933 by Harry Beck sells for £20,000

[editor]

From The Fail:



1928 map:



1919 map:

A fascinating poster featuring the different lines of the underground system laid out geographically and superimposed on the roadway of a city map has remained almost unchanged to this day.

The poster, which measures 24ins by 30ins and was printed in 1934, shows draughtsman Harry Beck's revolutionary layout of the capital's underground stations.

Beck submitted the colour-coded design in 1931 and it was initially rejected, but a successful trial in 1932 led to the map being published in 1933.

Most posters were destroyed after they were pasted to station walls so surviving copies are extremely scarce. Following the building of the underground system in Victorian times, the early maps featured the different lines laid out geographically and superimposed on the roadway of a city map.

This meant central stations were shown very close together, making them difficult to differentiate, while those on the outskirts were spaced far apart.

The poster, which goes on sale tomorrow with auctioneers Dominic Winter, of Cirencester, Gloucestershire, comes from the deceased estate of the Oxfordshire book seller John Lawson who died aged 87 last year.

Chris Albury, specialist at Dominic Winter, said: 'Beck's iconic map first appeared in January 1933 as a folding pocket map. The clever design was widely welcomed by the travelling public and its success led to it appearing as a poster on the walls of underground stations in March 1933.

'It's hard to not be captivated by the simple beauty of the design which quite rightly has stood the test of time as a classic. The colours, the sans font, the abandonment of scale and the straight lines all give it a modern feel that has stood the test of time.'

He added: 'It's been imitated, modified and spoofed countless times over the last 90 years but Beck's initial design is instantly recognisable in all versions.

'You could still use this map on the back cover of our catalogue and get about London perfectly well, though without use of the Circle, Victoria and Jubilee Lines your journey time might be longer!'

 

[editor]

1934 Central Area Map:



1948 map:

 

[fishfinger]

Have you seen the Welsh one?

Just A London Underground Map Translated Into Welsh

 

[wiskey]

I'm not entirely sure why but several times a year the catalogue for the London transport auction lands in my inbox and it's always worth looking at.

 

[Puddy_Tat]

though without use of the Circle, Victoria and Jubilee Lines your journey time might be longer!'

the 'inner circle' is there, just that it's marked as district / metropolitan lines

as is the 'middle circle' via Addison Road (Kensington Olympia)

the 'outer circle' was not fully part of the underground, though

 

[editor]

Have you seen the Welsh one?

Just A London Underground Map Translated Into Welsh

Last month! Brixton on the Welsh language tube map: Maenbrics on the Fictoria line