Beck's First Map - 1933 Map of London's Underground Railways - Trial Edition
Map of London's Underground Railways
Designed by Harry Charles (HC) Beck. Printed by Waterlow & Sons for London Underground Group. Print Code 750M-1-33. 22.8cm x 16cm. Card, folded twice as issued. Condition: Excellent. lightly used. Flattened Crease down right corner of the map.
“A new design for an old map. We should welcome your comments” reads the cover of this trial print of HC Beck's Underground map, issued in January 1933. A humble note indeed for one of the most innovative and successful designs of all time. Having initially rejected the design when Harry Beck first presented it to them in 1931, the Underground Group's Publicity Department were clearly still uncertain as to how the public would react to such a revolutionary map design. They needn't have worried, the map was an instant success.
Beck, a 29 year old temporarily employed draughtsman, saw what others failed to see - that passengers simply need to know the sequence of stations and where to change. Beck abandoned geographical accuracy for schematic rules similar to those of electric diagrams. Beck's map has stood the test of time (and significant expansion) and has profoundly changed the relationship between passenger and city. For this transformational design that would change transport mapping across the world, Beck was paid 10 guineas - a weeks wages.
Over the course of the next 27 years, Beck’s sense of propriety over the map and obsessive reworkings inevitably lead to clashes with the Publicity Office until they eventually parted company in 1959.
Map of London's Underground Railways
Designed by Harry Charles (HC) Beck. Printed by Waterlow & Sons for London Underground Group. Print Code 750M-1-33. 22.8cm x 16cm. Card, folded twice as issued. Condition: Excellent. lightly used. Flattened Crease down right corner of the map.
“A new design for an old map. We should welcome your comments” reads the cover of this trial print of HC Beck's Underground map, issued in January 1933. A humble note indeed for one of the most innovative and successful designs of all time. Having initially rejected the design when Harry Beck first presented it to them in 1931, the Underground Group's Publicity Department were clearly still uncertain as to how the public would react to such a revolutionary map design. They needn't have worried, the map was an instant success.
Beck, a 29 year old temporarily employed draughtsman, saw what others failed to see - that passengers simply need to know the sequence of stations and where to change. Beck abandoned geographical accuracy for schematic rules similar to those of electric diagrams. Beck's map has stood the test of time (and significant expansion) and has profoundly changed the relationship between passenger and city. For this transformational design that would change transport mapping across the world, Beck was paid 10 guineas - a weeks wages.
Over the course of the next 27 years, Beck’s sense of propriety over the map and obsessive reworkings inevitably lead to clashes with the Publicity Office until they eventually parted company in 1959.
Map of London's Underground Railways
Designed by Harry Charles (HC) Beck. Printed by Waterlow & Sons for London Underground Group. Print Code 750M-1-33. 22.8cm x 16cm. Card, folded twice as issued. Condition: Excellent. lightly used. Flattened Crease down right corner of the map.
“A new design for an old map. We should welcome your comments” reads the cover of this trial print of HC Beck's Underground map, issued in January 1933. A humble note indeed for one of the most innovative and successful designs of all time. Having initially rejected the design when Harry Beck first presented it to them in 1931, the Underground Group's Publicity Department were clearly still uncertain as to how the public would react to such a revolutionary map design. They needn't have worried, the map was an instant success.
Beck, a 29 year old temporarily employed draughtsman, saw what others failed to see - that passengers simply need to know the sequence of stations and where to change. Beck abandoned geographical accuracy for schematic rules similar to those of electric diagrams. Beck's map has stood the test of time (and significant expansion) and has profoundly changed the relationship between passenger and city. For this transformational design that would change transport mapping across the world, Beck was paid 10 guineas - a weeks wages.
Over the course of the next 27 years, Beck’s sense of propriety over the map and obsessive reworkings inevitably lead to clashes with the Publicity Office until they eventually parted company in 1959.
