There's an unknown world beneath the feet of London — particularly if you're to believe the fruitfully fanciful mind of illustrator Mark Cowie.
In the fourth instalment of his 'The World Beneath' series, Cowie takes us below one of central London's most recognisable architectural giants, the BT Tower, where we discover various lost forms of communication: a printing press ready to whirr into life should print media ever enjoy a renaissance. A red telephone box storage facility. A room in which people can — gulp — learn to talk face-to-face.
Indeed, when the AI bubble bursts, and the robots are defeated, this bunker of analogue knowhow is going to come into its own.
Above street level — and indeed, some 189 metres into the ether — the cartoonist's quirkiness continues, as the former revolving restaurant is converted into a luxe homing pigeon loft (now that really IS a retro form of communication). Someone better tell MCR Hotels; it might scarper their designs to turn the BT Tower into a lofty hotel.
Other cartoons in this series which delves into the fantastical netherworlds of London include the world's first clockwork underground, and a Wembley Stadium featuring an emergency escape route for matchday officials.
If you want to see some of Mark Cowie's illustrations in the flesh, put the Chesham Fringe in your diary (22-24 May 2026), when he's exhibiting various works and discussing them with journalist Sean Hannam.
In the meantime, A3 prints are available from the Good Earth Gallery in Chesham. Cheeky little Christmas present for someone, perhaps? You can also follow Mark Cowie on Instagram as @cowie_illustrator
