A scarce 1949 'Quad Royal' poster map of the Underground by H.C. Beck

BECK, Henry C.

London Transport Railways.
London: Waterlow & Sons, 1949. Colour lithographic map. Sheet 1010 x 1265mm.

Laid on canvas.

A poster map of the London Underground published sixteen years after the introduction of Beck's iconic 'electric diagram' map of the Underground. According to Garland, Beck was particularly fond of this version because he was able 'at last to eradicate all those features with which he had been unwillingly saddled by others'. For example the Metropolitan Line is no longer the same green as the District Line, as it has been since 1935. The 'Inner Circle' has become the Circle Line and is now yellow for the first time. Proposed extensions are shown: on the Northern Line from Edgware to Bushey Heath, Mill Hill East to Edgware and Highgate to Alexandra Palace and Finsbury Park; on the Circle Line from Loughton to Ongar; and on the Bakerloo Line from Elephant & Castle to Camberwell.

GARLAND: Mr Beck's Underground Map, 31, full-page illus; 'Beck considered this perhaps the best of all his versions of the Diagram'.
Stock ID : 21925