Submitted by Mattias Lq, who says:

I know how you don’t like many airway maps trying to be schematic, but this one is a rather successful combination of a simplified geographical map and a schematic inset showing frequencies throughout the year. Although it has some minor beauty flaws here and there, it is really a beautiful map, especially considering the five colours used to print the map! What do you say?

Transit Maps says:

Mattias, I think this is absolutely wonderful, and certainly something that the new airlinemaps Tumblr should see! 

Airline travel was still relatively new in 1936, with commercial fixed-wing services having commenced in 1914, just 22 years previously. Imperial Airways – the predecessor of BOAC and then British Airways – was only formed in 1924, but expanded rapidly throughout the British Commonwealth, as helpfully shown in the detailed pink sections of the map above. Most Imperial Airways planes were small, carrying 20 passengers or less, and still had to “hop” from destination to destination along their routes. Transatlantic services – hinted at on this map as “projected services” – were still not practicably feasible.

The main map of services is lovely enough, but the diagrammatic representation of service frequencies is quite fantastic. It takes the solid yellow route lines from the main map (the Imperial Airways and associated companies routes) and reinterprets them in schematic form. It uses a complex but visually distinct legend to denote both service frequency and operating company, making it very information-rich. As an added bonus, it even includes mileage from London for each destination. And I agree: the whole map looks great despite the limitations of early-20th century printing technology!

Our rating: A fantastic piece of ephemera from the early days of commercial aviation. Five stars!

Source: David Rumsey Collection