By Harry Howard, History Correspondent For Mailonline
Published: 08:36 EDT, 26 May 2022 | Updated: 07:07 EDT, 27 May 2022
A rare early version of the iconic London Underground map has emerged for sale for £45,000 - and it features several stations that have either been renamed or shut for good.
The poster showing draughtsman Harry Beck's revolutionary layout of the capital's underground stations and lines was printed in August 1933.
At the time eight London Underground lines were in operation with the Victoria Line and Jubilee Line added years later.
The Waterloo & City had existed as a tube line since opening in 1898 but did not feature on Beck's map or many others because it was operated separately from the London Underground network until 1994.
Although it now features on the latest Transport For London map, the newly-opened Crossrail Elizabeth Line is not formally part of the London Underground network.
The map features several names stations that no longer feature, either because the stations in question were closed or because they were re-named or merged with others.
Besides those 'ghost' stations and the addition of later lines, Beck's colour-coded map almost unchanged to this day.
Although 2,000 poster versions of Beck's map were printed, there are less than ten surviving examples.
Most posters were destroyed after they were pasted to station walls so they are extremely scarce.
The map's sale comes after some people on social media condemned the new London Underground map for being too complicated.
One said: 'The map is just ridiculous – truly a set of lesson in what never to do when designing a transit map.'
The map was also criticised because of additions of IKEA logos in places where the Swedish department store has outlets, following TfL's sponsorship deal with the firm.
A rare early version of the iconic London Underground map has emerged for sale for £45,000. The poster showing draughtsman Harry Beck's revolutionary layout of the capital's underground stations and lines was printed in August 1933
The current London Underground network has 11 lines, not including the new Elizabeth Line, which is considered separate by Transport For London. Above: The latest map
Mark Lane, which was once part of the District Line, closed in 1967. It was replaced by Tower Hill.
Strand and Trafalgar Square now no longer feature on the Underground map because they became Charing Cross.
Strand formed the Northern Line section of Charing Cross and was closed in 1973.
Aldwych closed in 1994, more than 50 years after disused parts of it were used in the Second World War to shelter treasures including the Elgin Marbles from German bombs
Marlborough Road existed on the Metropolitan Line until it was closed in November 1939.
Brompton Road station was closed in 1934, a year after Beck's map was produced. It featured on the Piccadilly Line.
Following the building of the underground system in Victorian times, the early maps featured the different lines laid out geographically and superimposed on the roadway of a city map.
This meant central stations were shown very close together, making them difficult to differentiate, while those on the outskirts were spaced far apart.
Beck solved this problem with his iconic design created in 1931, but it did not see the light for two years because it was considered too radical.
His layout, which was initially published in a small pamphlet, was immediately taken to heart by Londoners.
Notable additions to the underground network since Beck's design are the Victoria Line (1960), Jubilee Line (1979) and the Elizabeth Line, which opened this week.
Beck's 30ins by 24ins poster, which is in 'excellent' condition, is being sold by dealer Iconic Antiques at this year's London Map Fair.
Chris Berry, of Iconic Antiques, said: 'I acquired the poster three years ago from the previous owner who had had it since the late 60s.
'They had purchased it from dealer Mike Higson trading in Harrow, Middlesex.
'Harry Beck's iconic London Underground "diagram" was first issued in pocket map format in January 1933 to an extremely positive public response.
'He was immediately commissioned to redraw the diagram in poster format, first in Quad Royal size published in July 1933 (50ins by 40ins) and then this format published in August 1933.
'There were 2,000 produced in this format but most were destroyed so there must be less than ten survivors today.
'Though almost identical to the January 1933 design, this map benefits from a few small improvements Beck made over the first half of 1933; notably replacing the diamond interchange stations with circles and addressing the awkward Met Line right angle between Notting Hill Gate and Paddington.
'The north pointer, which was added by someone else, was a source of much frustration for Beck, as it was inappropriate for this type of map.
'Beck's design has become more than a map, it's a London visual icon.'
The map will be displayed at the London Map Fair on June 11-12.
Two stations featuring on Beck's map that no longer feature are Aldwych and Mark Lane. The former closed in 1994, more than 50 years after disused parts of it were used in the Second World War to shelter treasures including the Elgin Marbles from German bombs.
Mark Lane, which was once part of the District Line, closed in 1967. It was replaced by Tower Hill. Another now-closed station that features is Brompton Road, which shut its doors in 1934.
Also seen are Strand and Trafalgar Square, which both now make up Charing Cross station.
Aldwych was opened in 1907 and was named Strand – due to its location - until 1915.
Beck's colour-coded design remains almost unchanged to this day, bar the addition of new lines. There were 2,000 printed in this batch but there are less than ten surviving examples
Part of Beck's map is seen above. Beck's layout, which was initially published in a small pamphlet, was immediately taken to heart by Londoners
Most posters were destroyed after they were pasted to station walls so they are extremely scarce. Above: Beck's printed signature
Beck pictured next to and holding his design in 1931. Beck's iconic design first appeared in January 1933 as a folding pocket map and appeared on the walls of underground stations two months later
Brompton Road station was closed in 1934, a year after Beck's map was produced. It featured on the Piccadilly Line. Above: The station when it was still in use
The former Mark Lane station is seen on the right of this image. It was once part of the District Line and closed in 1967. It was replaced by Tower Hill
Marlborough Road station is seen above in the early 20th century. The former station building is also shown in 2008, when it was a Chinese restaurant. It now houses a substation that supports the Metropolitan Line
Aldwych was opened in 1907 and was named Strand – due to its location - until 1915. Above: One of the exists of the station
Aldwych also kept Londoners safe during the Blitz – when German planes dropped thousands of bombs on the capital from September 1940 until May 1941. Above: Londoners sheltering on both the platform and tracks at Aldwych, which was closed during the war
Today's episode of Secrets of the London Underground, which is presented by Tim Dunn and transport historian Siddy Holloway, also tells the story of how the Elgin Marbles were kept for safe-keeping during the Second World War at the now-closed Aldwych Station. Above: The marbles being wheeled through the station in September 1940
Harry Beck was born in east London on June 4, 1902 and began his career as an engineering draughtsman at the London Underground Signals Office during the 1920s.
His job was to draw schematics for the electrical systems of the London Underground.
Beck actually designed the underground map when he was unemployed – showing that he hadn't been following the guidance of employer.
He assumed that passengers using the Tube were more bothered about finding their way than geographical accuracy and so made sure it was as clear as possible and outlined the overall network, rather than depicting the exact distance between stations.
Despite the map being iconic across the world, Beck's original was initially rejected because it was deemed as too radical.
However after a successful trial run, it was clear that it was what the public wanted.
From 1915 until 1973, Strand was then the name given to the station that formed part of Charing Cross.
Aldwych was connected to nearby Holborn by London's shortest branch line, which was less than 1,800feet long.
Opened in 1907, the station was never popular with passengers and, when its original Otis lifts needed to be refurbished at a cost of £3-4million in 1994, it was decided to close the stop entirely.
The lifts, which date from 1906, are now the only surviving ones of their type on the whole London Underground network.
Today, Aldwych's platforms are used to trial new signs and other innovations before they're installed on the wider network.
Posters dating from the Second World War can still be seen on the walls.
In September 1940, the British Museum made use of a platform which had been bricked up at both ends during the First World War so it could be used by the National Gallery to keep items safe.
The Elgin marbles were taken from the museum to the space on wooden carts. They remained there for safe-keeping until 1948.
Photos show men in suits carefully maneuvering the marbles through Aldwych's passageways. The marbles remained at Aldwych until 1948, when they were wheeled out and put back in the British Museum, in Bloomsbury.
The decision to put the marbles below ground was a good one - the British Museum suffered considerable bomb damage, including to the very space - the Duveen Gallery - where the Greek artefacts had been on display.
The treasures, which are officially known as the Parthenon Marbles, were taken from Athens by the Earl of Elgin - the then ambassador to Greece - in 1812.
As a solution to solve the problems of increased traffic congestion, the 1855 Act of Parliament was passed giving a green light to the construction of an underground rail network between Paddington and Farringdon Street via King's Cross.
The Metropolitan Railway, the world's first underground railway, serving six stations, opened back in 1863, and the following year the Hammersmith and City Railway opened.
The underground railways rapidly expanded and eventually incorporated New Cross on the East London Railway and Whitechapel and Hounslow and Wimbledon on the District.
The Metropolitan expanded into the north-east of the city, creating a new suburb dubbed 'Metro-land' in the process which included Chesham, Watford and Harrow.
With the advancement of digging technologies, by the late 19th century the first tube lines were being created, and in 1890 the City and South London Railway, which now comprises of part of the Northern line, was opened.
In 1900 the Central London Railway – now known as the Central line – was opened, which spanned from Bank to Shepherd's Bush.
Three years later the various privately owned railways merged into a London Passenger Transport Board, known as London Transport.
Draughtsman Harry Beck submitted the colour-coded design in 1931 and it was initially rejected, but a successful trial in 1932 led to the map being published in 1933.
Beck's iconic design first appeared in January 1933 as a folding pocket map and appeared on the walls of underground stations two months later.
The Northern line was opened in 1937 and was created out of two separate railways. It expanded a little between Archway and East Finchley, High Barnet and Mill Hill East in 1939 to 1941, but World War Two slowed the expansions down.
In 1948, the Labour government – along with the four mainline railway companies – nationalised the ever-expanding network, becoming the London Regional Transport, which was eventually replaced by Transport for London in 2000.
Most of the central London network was built in the Underground's first 50 years with first new line, the Victoria line, opening in 1968.
It was followed by the Jubilee Line in 1979, which was extended to London's Docklands, London's former docks, in 1999.
Notable additions to underground network since Beck's design are the Victoria Line - built in 1960 - and Jubilee Line (1979).
The new map must be very confusing for people who ...
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