Who invented the London Tube map?
Harry Beck’s
Originally considered too radical, Harry Beck’s London Underground Tube map has become a design classic. Now recognised across the world, the Tube map was originally the brainchild of Underground electrical draughtsman, Harry Beck, who produced this imaginative and beautifully simple design back in 1933.
Why was Harry Beck’s map better than previous ones?
The result was a sparse, circuit board-like design that eschewed geographic accuracy for legibility. Ken Garland, an English graphic designer and Beck biographer, says the map’s most innovative feature was its “convex lens” that disproportionately enlarged the area around central London.
Why did Harry Beck design the Tube map?
It was however Beck who had the idea of creating a full system map in colour. He believed that Underground passengers were not concerned with geographical accuracy and were more interested in how to get from one station to another and where to change trains.
When was the London Underground map designed by Harry Beck first published?
1933
Harry Beck was the designer of the iconic London Underground map. First published in 1933, the map has since influenced the design of many Metro maps across the globe.
How old is Harry Beck?
72 years (1902–1974)
Harry Beck/Age at death
What nationality is Harry Beck?
British
Harry Beck/Nationality
What is the oldest Tube line in London?
Metropolitan line
Metropolitan line Opened in 1863, The Metropolitan Railway between Paddington and Farringdon was the first, urban, underground railway in the world.
What type of designer is Harry Beck?
Harry Beck was an eminent twentieth century English technical draftsman. He designed the iconic topological map of London’s Underground subway system (now Tube) and attained recognition posthumously. On June 04, 1902, in Leyton, London, Harry was born Henry Charles Beck. He was an unlikely cartographic innovator.
Was Harry Beck married?
Henry Beck married Nora Beck, 1933. He started work as a tutor of typography and colour design at the London School of Printing and Kindred Trades in 1947, where he stayed until his retirement.
Who designed the London Underground Tube map?
You are here: Originally considered too radical, Harry Beck’s London Underground Tube map has become a design classic. Now recognised across the world, the Tube map was originally the brainchild of Underground electrical draughtsman, Harry Beck, who produced this imaginative and beautifully simple design back in 1933.
Why did Henry Beck stop making Metro maps?
Feeling a sense of ownership and averse to seeing his design changed by third parties, Beck fought a long legal battle with London Transport. He abandoned this in 1965 but worked on the map privately, along with designs for the Paris Metro he had begun decades earlier, until his death in 1974.
Why is Beck’s map of London so important?
The result was an instantly clear and comprehensible chart that would become an essential guide to London – and a template for transport maps the world over. Beck’s revolutionary design, with certain modifications and additions, survives to the present day and is set to serve London Underground and its millions of customers for many years to come.
What is the history of the tube map?
Now recognised across the world, the Tube map was originally the brainchild of Underground electrical draughtsman, Harry Beck, who produced this imaginative and beautifully simple design back in 1933. Rather than emphasising distance and geographical accuracy, like other maps, Beck based his on the circuit diagrams he drew…