1933 Route Map of Imperial Airways - HC Beck
The Routes of Imperial Airways (HC Beck) in “A Review of Air Transport - Being a Lecture by GE Woods-Humphreys (Managing Director) of Imperial Airways Before The Institute of Transport February 1933.
Published by Imperial Airways. 40 page booklet. Text and monochrome photos. Measures 25cm x 16cm. HC Beck map measures 25cm x 32cm (double page). Map: Some loss at top corner and minor marks. Original pencil annotations.
The map hidden for 90 years towards the back of this fascinating document is believed to be the work of Harry Beck, the inventor of the iconic London Underground map - which had been issued just a month earlier, in January 1933. This discovery sheds new light on Harry Beck’s design and how much earlier he (and others) saw the potential for other transit systems.
Following the universal acceptance of his revolutionary diagram for the London Underground, Beck was very keen to win over other transit authorities and drew up draft proposals for the Paris Metro, New York Transit Authority among others. However, Beck’s involvement with Imperial Airways was unknown until an “H.C.Beck” signed map for Imperial Airways, dated 1935, turned up at an auction in 2017.
This 1933 “Routes of Imperial Airways” map is not signed by Harry Beck but his hand is unmistakable. Yet, with all of his work, we would expect to see the “H.C.Beck” signature and it is not present. This document was a draft, annotated with pencil throughout, possibly by Woods-Humphreys himself. One rubbed-out (but readable) annotation on the reverse side of the map says 3) Resinstate “H.C.Beck”. It seems Beck’s name has been cut off the bottom during the reproduction of the map for the document and the editor realised this. We may never know why he then rubbed it out!
This document is dated February 1933, so the map was designed in mid-late 1932 meaning that Beck was working on this map and making the final revisions to his London Underground Map at the same time.
The man who decided to print Harry Beck’s London Underground map - Frank Pick - was Managing Director of London Passenger Transport Board and also the President of the Institute of Transport between 1930-1931. One could easily imagine a conversation over a whisky in which Pick tells Woods-Humphreys of a new type of map they were about to issue and how he might consider a similar approach for Imperial Airways.
Free UK Delivery. For Non-UK delivery please request a quotation.
The Routes of Imperial Airways (HC Beck) in “A Review of Air Transport - Being a Lecture by GE Woods-Humphreys (Managing Director) of Imperial Airways Before The Institute of Transport February 1933.
Published by Imperial Airways. 40 page booklet. Text and monochrome photos. Measures 25cm x 16cm. HC Beck map measures 25cm x 32cm (double page). Map: Some loss at top corner and minor marks. Original pencil annotations.
The map hidden for 90 years towards the back of this fascinating document is believed to be the work of Harry Beck, the inventor of the iconic London Underground map - which had been issued just a month earlier, in January 1933. This discovery sheds new light on Harry Beck’s design and how much earlier he (and others) saw the potential for other transit systems.
Following the universal acceptance of his revolutionary diagram for the London Underground, Beck was very keen to win over other transit authorities and drew up draft proposals for the Paris Metro, New York Transit Authority among others. However, Beck’s involvement with Imperial Airways was unknown until an “H.C.Beck” signed map for Imperial Airways, dated 1935, turned up at an auction in 2017.
This 1933 “Routes of Imperial Airways” map is not signed by Harry Beck but his hand is unmistakable. Yet, with all of his work, we would expect to see the “H.C.Beck” signature and it is not present. This document was a draft, annotated with pencil throughout, possibly by Woods-Humphreys himself. One rubbed-out (but readable) annotation on the reverse side of the map says 3) Resinstate “H.C.Beck”. It seems Beck’s name has been cut off the bottom during the reproduction of the map for the document and the editor realised this. We may never know why he then rubbed it out!
This document is dated February 1933, so the map was designed in mid-late 1932 meaning that Beck was working on this map and making the final revisions to his London Underground Map at the same time.
The man who decided to print Harry Beck’s London Underground map - Frank Pick - was Managing Director of London Passenger Transport Board and also the President of the Institute of Transport between 1930-1931. One could easily imagine a conversation over a whisky in which Pick tells Woods-Humphreys of a new type of map they were about to issue and how he might consider a similar approach for Imperial Airways.
Free UK Delivery. For Non-UK delivery please request a quotation.
The Routes of Imperial Airways (HC Beck) in “A Review of Air Transport - Being a Lecture by GE Woods-Humphreys (Managing Director) of Imperial Airways Before The Institute of Transport February 1933.
Published by Imperial Airways. 40 page booklet. Text and monochrome photos. Measures 25cm x 16cm. HC Beck map measures 25cm x 32cm (double page). Map: Some loss at top corner and minor marks. Original pencil annotations.
The map hidden for 90 years towards the back of this fascinating document is believed to be the work of Harry Beck, the inventor of the iconic London Underground map - which had been issued just a month earlier, in January 1933. This discovery sheds new light on Harry Beck’s design and how much earlier he (and others) saw the potential for other transit systems.
Following the universal acceptance of his revolutionary diagram for the London Underground, Beck was very keen to win over other transit authorities and drew up draft proposals for the Paris Metro, New York Transit Authority among others. However, Beck’s involvement with Imperial Airways was unknown until an “H.C.Beck” signed map for Imperial Airways, dated 1935, turned up at an auction in 2017.
This 1933 “Routes of Imperial Airways” map is not signed by Harry Beck but his hand is unmistakable. Yet, with all of his work, we would expect to see the “H.C.Beck” signature and it is not present. This document was a draft, annotated with pencil throughout, possibly by Woods-Humphreys himself. One rubbed-out (but readable) annotation on the reverse side of the map says 3) Resinstate “H.C.Beck”. It seems Beck’s name has been cut off the bottom during the reproduction of the map for the document and the editor realised this. We may never know why he then rubbed it out!
This document is dated February 1933, so the map was designed in mid-late 1932 meaning that Beck was working on this map and making the final revisions to his London Underground Map at the same time.
The man who decided to print Harry Beck’s London Underground map - Frank Pick - was Managing Director of London Passenger Transport Board and also the President of the Institute of Transport between 1930-1931. One could easily imagine a conversation over a whisky in which Pick tells Woods-Humphreys of a new type of map they were about to issue and how he might consider a similar approach for Imperial Airways.
Free UK Delivery. For Non-UK delivery please request a quotation.