{"meta":{"version":"2.1","_links":{"self":{"href":"https://api.vam.ac.uk/v2/object/O1103477"},"collection_page":{"href":"https://collections.vam.ac.uk/item/O1103477/"}},"images":{"_primary_thumbnail":"https://framemark.vam.ac.uk/collections/2019MH1728/full/!100,100/0/default.jpg","_iiif_image":"https://framemark.vam.ac.uk/collections/2019MH1728/","_alt_iiif_image":[],"imageResolution":"low","_images_meta":[{"assetRef":"2019MH1728","copyright":"© Victoria and Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false},{"assetRef":"2006AT9837","copyright":"© Victoria and Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false}]},"see_also":null},"record":{"systemNumber":"O1103477","accessionNumber":"E.814-1979","objectType":"Drawing","titles":[{"title":"Original sketch for the London Underground Railways Map","type":"assigned by artist"}],"summaryDescription":"All versions and imitations of the modern London underground map derive from this first rough sketch. Beck, an electrical engineer and draughtsman, applied the principles of drawing complex electrical circuitry as an idealized diagram to map making, showing only the relationships and not the distances between various points. The geographically accurate map that had been in use since 1919 was becoming difficult to read, as the inclusion of the new stations in the suburbs to scale meant that the inner areas showed the central stations in a confusing cluster. This apparently simple and obvious idea of a diagram was completely new, and took some time to be accepted by the management, although the public took to it immediately. Virtually all metro systems throughout the world now use Beck's idea.","physicalDescription":"Rough sketch showing London Underground lines in a crude diagrammatic form","artistMakerPerson":[{"name":{"text":"Beck, Henry C.","id":"A20033"},"association":{"text":"Designer","id":"x36960"},"note":""}],"artistMakerOrganisations":[],"artistMakerPeople":[],"materials":[{"text":"ink","id":"AAT15012"},{"text":"card","id":"x30344"}],"techniques":[],"materialsAndTechniques":"Pencil and coloured inks on squared paper pasted onto card","categories":[{"text":"Maps","id":"THES252964"}],"styles":[],"collectionCode":{"text":"PDP","id":"THES48595"},"images":["2019MH1728","2006AT9837"],"imageResolution":"low","galleryLocations":[{"current":{"text":"LVLF","id":"THES49656"},"free":"","case":"TOPIC","shelf":"10","box":"C"}],"partTypes":[[{"text":"drawings","id":"AAT33973"}]],"contentWarnings":[{"apprise":"No","note":""}],"placesOfOrigin":[{"place":{"text":"London","id":"x28980"},"association":{"text":"Drawn","id":"x30545"},"note":""}],"productionDates":[{"date":{"text":"1931","earliest":"1931-01-01","latest":"1931-12-31"},"association":{"text":"Drawn","id":"x30545"},"note":""}],"associatedObjects":[],"creditLine":"Given by Ken Garland Esq","dimensions":[{"dimension":"Height","value":"190","unit":"mm","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"part":"","note":""},{"dimension":"Width","value":"240","unit":"mm","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"part":"","note":""}],"dimensionsNote":"","marksAndInscriptions":[{"content":"Inscribed on back in red ink 1 TOP and labelled with a typed notice  and signed by the donor, with details of the design etc.","inscriber":{"name":{"text":"","id":""},"association":{"text":"","id":""}},"date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"description":"","interpretation":"","language":"","medium":"","method":"","position":"","script":"","translation":"","transliteration":"","type":"","note":""}],"objectHistory":"This diagram was given by Henry Beck to Ken Garland in 1965. A printed copy of the first edition of the completed map,  dated 1-[19]33 and of the second, presumed also to be 1933, were also given by Mr Garland to the Museum in 1979. See nos. E.815-1979 and E.816-1979.","historicalContext":"","briefDescription":"Original sketch for the London Underground Railways Map, 1931. Henry C. Beck","bibliographicReferences":[{"reference":{"text":"","id":""},"details":"","free":"Ken Garland: The design of the London Underground Diagram  Penrose Annual 1969 (Vol.62) pp. 68- 82"},{"reference":{"text":"","id":""},"details":"","free":"Ken Garland: Obituary,  Henry C Beck  Design Magazine, December 1974"},{"reference":{"text":"Lambert, Susan. <i>Drawing, Technique & Purpose</i>. London: Trefoil Books, ca. 1984.","id":"AUTH331318"},"details":"no.191","free":""},{"reference":{"text":"","id":""},"details":"","free":"ed. Tom Harper <u>Maps and the 20th Century : Drawing the Line</u>  London : The British Library, 2016."},{"reference":{"text":"Gay, Bernard, <i>Classics of Modern Design</i>, London : Camden Arts Centre, 1977","id":"AUTH354531"},"details":"no. 111","free":""}],"production":"","productionType":{"text":"","id":""},"contentDescription":"","contentPlaces":[{"text":"London","id":"x28980"}],"associatedPlaces":[],"contentPerson":[],"associatedPerson":[],"contentOrganisations":[],"associatedOrganisations":[],"contentPeople":[],"associatedPeople":[],"contentEvents":[],"associatedEvents":[],"contentOthers":[{"text":"Maps","id":"AAT28094"}],"contentConcepts":[],"contentLiteraryRefs":[],"galleryLabels":[{"text":"The first user-friendly map\n\nSketch for London Underground map \n1931\nDesigned and made by Harry Beck, UK \nPencil and ink on paper \nGiven by Ken Garland Esq. \nMuseum no. E.814-1979\n\nThe object sits in the 'Housing and Living' section of the Design 1900-Now gallery opened in June 2021.","date":{"text":"2021","earliest":"2021-01-01","latest":"2021-12-31"}},{"text":"<b>Henry C. Beck (1901-1974)</b>\r\nOriginal Sketch for the London\r\nUnderground Railways Map. 1931\r\nPencil and coloured inks on squared\r\npaper\r\n\r\nAll versions and imitations of the modern \r\nLondon underground map derive from this\r\nfirst rough sketch. Beck, an electrical\r\nengineer and draughtsman, applied the\r\nprinciples of drawing complex electrical\r\ncircuitry as an idealized diagram to map\r\nmaking, showing only the relationships and\r\nnot the distances between various points.\r\nThis apparently simple and obvious idea was\r\ncompletely new, and took some time to be\r\naccepted by the management, although the\r\npublic took to it immediately. Virtually all\r\nmetro systems throughout the world use\r\nBeck's idea.\r\n\r\nGiven by Ken Garland Esq.\r\nE.814-1979","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null}}],"partNumbers":["E.814-1979"],"accessionNumberNum":"814","accessionNumberPrefix":"E","accessionYear":1979,"otherNumbers":[],"copyNumber":"","aspects":["WHOLE"],"assets":[],"recordModificationDate":"2025-04-16","recordCreationDate":"2009-07-01","availableToBook":false}}