Tube maps from the distant past come together at a new exhibition and sale at The Map House.
50 years after Harry Beck's death, a Knightsbridge shop is mounting an exhibition of tube maps dating back to Victorian times. Mapping the Tube: 1863-2023 presents dozens of maps and documents showing how different generations have represented the underground network. That includes the evolution of Harry Beck's famous 1933 map, but also plenty of pre-Beck material.
If you're looking to pick up a bit of cartographic history, then this is very much the right place. The exhibition includes "the most significant collection of Beck manuscripts ever offered for sale". This includes a hand-annotated early draft of the map, with marginalia from both Beck and his predecessor Fred Stingemore, which "...highlights some of the tricky design questions he had to overcome, such as whether to use the official name of 'Willesden Green (New Station)' or stick with a simplified 'Willesden Junction'".
We're promised more than just tube maps, as well. Among various posters on show is a large version of Macdonald Gill's celebrated Wonderground Map of London from 1914, which presents the capital in a colourful cartoonish map.
Exhibition Curator at The Map House, Charles Roberts says: “The survival of many of the materials we have on display is remarkable. These maps were largely distributed for free as a tool for the public. They were not intended to be saved but here they are, providing us with a unique insight into London’s history. The Harry Beck manuscripts we are offering present a unique opportunity to look over his shoulder and see the great designer at work.”
Mapping the Tube: 1863-2023 is at The Map House, 54 Beauchamp Place, Knightsbridge SW3 1NY from 25 October to 30 November 2024. Entrance is free.
