Pre-war poster map of the environs of London showing the reach of London Transport

LONDON TRANSPORT.

All Routes. Road & Rail.
London: Waterlow & Sons for London Transport, 1935. Chromolithograph, 1010 x 1260mm. Quad Royal size (40 by 50").

Original folds.

A poster map of the environs of London, with the area covered by London Transport's trams, buses, coaches and trains printed in yellow. The extents are Windsor in the west, clockwise to Wendover, Luton, Letchworth, Bishops Stortford, Harlow, Brentwood, Gravesend, Sevonoaks, East Grinstead, Horsham, Guildford and Woking. The scale varies, larger at the centre than the border, allowing for greater detail in the centre of London.

Of interest is the tiny 'Heathrow Aerodrome', then the private airfield of the Fairey Aviation Company. In 1944 the aerodrome was requisitioned under the 'Defence of the Realm Act 1914', with the excuse that the airfield was needed for long-range bombers: in reality the government wanted a new international airport and wanted to bypass both planning committees and compensation. A legal battle lasted until 1964.


Stock ID : 14870