Transit Maps: Piccadilly Line

Historical Diagram: Piccadilly Circus Tube Station by Renzo Picasso, 1929

July 24, 2015

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Cutaway Maps, Historical Maps

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1929, Bakerloo Line, bus, Charles Holden, cutaway, diagram, England, Europe, London, London Underground, perspective, Piccadilly Circus, Piccadilly Line, Renzo Picasso, Stephen Bone, subway, United Kingdom

We all know that I love a good cutaway diagram, and this example – drawn by Italian architect and urban designer, Renzo Picasso (no relation) – is just superb. Drawn in 1929, coinciding with the opening of Charles Holden’s sub-surface circular booking hall which replaced the original 1906 above-ground Leslie Green-designed station building. The unusual perspective, halfway between the platform level and the (invisible) roads above, permits a wonderful level of clarity in the drawing. […]

Historical Map: 1949 London Underground Quad Royal Poster

November 15, 2012

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Filed Under:
Historical Maps

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1949, England, Europe, Harry Beck, HC Beck, Knightsbridge, London, London Underground, Piccadilly Line, tube map, Underground Map, United Kingdom

This photo, shared by Flickr user IsarSteve, shows an absolutely amazing discovery. Construction work at the Knightsbridge Underground station in 1996 uncovered this stunning 1949 quad royal* poster of the Tube map. It looks as if the workers know they’ve found something wonderful as well, judging by the yellow and black warning tape surrounding the frame. For many, the 1949 tube map is the apotheosis of the Beck style, with his ruthless quest for simplification […]