Photo: Station-ery
Cute title. Made back in 2007, so the Circle Line is actually a loop, rather than the… ahh.. paperclip… it is now. Nicely done piece of whimsy. Source: Zach_ManchesterUK/Flickr – link no longer active
Month: September 2013
Submission: Cross-Stitched New York Subway Map
Submitted by Sabina Wolfson, who says: The cross-stitched “T” map you mentioned reminded me that I have been meaning to submit this for awhile. Cross-sittched NYC subway map from 2010. I took a map and made it into an x-stitch pattern and then my Aunt stitched it for me. Transit Maps says: Wow! The 45-degree angularity of most transit maps means that they work well with this type of “pixel-based” art, but Sabina must have […]
Historical Map: Diagram of Tube Services, 7:00am, September 28, 1940
Here’s a fantastic historical document – a tube map used by engineers in London to mark out the status of services on the Underground during World War II. By the look of it, this map was updated at least daily, if not even more often, as this date falls squarely within the Blitz – a period where London was bombed for 57 consecutive nights by the Luftwaffe. The map itself looks like a modified hand-drawn […]
Photo: Moscow Metro Line Maps
A good example of how something that’s probably perfectly clear to locals can be totally confusing to foreign visitors. The first obstacle is obviously the Cyrillic text, which automatically makes things very tricky for non-natives. Now, I’ve spent quite a bit of time translating and cross-referencing the text here with a Moscow Metro map, and I think I’ve got it worked out — but this isn’t exactly a luxury that you would have when you’re […]
Behind the Scenes: Evolution of the Chicago CTA Rail Map from 1996-2006 and Beyond
This material was sent to me via email by Dennis McClendon, who runs Chicago CartoGraphics, a design firm in the Windy City that specialises in maps and information graphics. His email – which outlines his role in the development of the Chicago “L” map as used in the CTA system map brochure (the first link on this page) – is so fascinating that I’m basically reproducing it in its entirety below. In effect, Dennis is Transit […]
“Stitched Subways – London” by Susan Stockwell, 2007
One of the loveliest reinventions of the London Tube Map I’ve seen so far – simply red thread stitched onto rice paper. It’s bigger than it looks: 100cm wide by 30cm deep, so it would certainly look impressive on a wall! Source: Susan’s website
Historical Map: “Explore the Yorkshire Coast” Poster, c. 1950s
Simply gorgeous mid-century poster designed for British Rail’s North Eastern Division by the prolific graphic artist, Reginald Lander (1913–1982). Yorkshire has never looked better, or so warm… look at all those people in bathing suits frolicking in the hot sun! The simplified map suits the angular design of the underlying painted scene perfectly, a real synthesis of design and art coming together as a cohesive whole. The section of line between Pickering and Whitby via […]
Unofficial Map: “Platform 2” Sydney Trains Map Stainless Steel Table by Savage Design
Very shiny representation of the inner part of Sydney’s rail network. Design-wise, it doesn’t stray too far from the look of the official map (Sept. 2012, 3.5 stars), although I’m not quite sure why the route line that represents the peak-only East Hills services heading up through Sydenham suddenly turns northwards before it reaches Redfern. The labels for Circular Quay and St. James stations could also be much better aligned with their respective ticks. Technically, there should […]
Submission – Teeny Tiny Hamburg Transit Map
Submitted by Miles, who says: When I was at Miniatur Wunderland in Hamburg (the largest model railway in the world), I found a tiny rendition of the Hamburg subway map in one of the models. It was a very detailed map, although my photo is blurry because it was so close up. Transit Maps says: Looks just like the real thing! It’s probably a tie between this map and this generic one for smallest subway map […]
Unofficial Map: Transit of Sarajevo, Bosnia & Herzegovina
Submitted by Halid Karpović, who says: Dear Cameron, I heard you also feature the worst transit maps on your blog – and by “worst”, I mean “worst of the worst”. If that’s right, I’d like to hear your opinion of this map by Emir Haračić. It shows the transit network of Sarajevo, the capital of Bosnia and Herzegovina, and appears in Sarajevo Navigator, quite a popular tourist guide. Basically, I say that such a beautiful city […]