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The materials shown on this page are copyright protected by
their authors and/or respective institutions. |
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Paris Metro by Harry Beck |
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Author(s):
Harry Beck |
Institution:
(unknown) |
Year:
1951 |
URL:
http://tinyurl.com/bnh7qe |
Project Description:
The significance of Harry Beck's map design of 1933 is widely recognized as one of the seminal works in Graphic and Information Design, and a major influence to all subsequent underground maps of the world. It's only when you see it next to its predecessor diagram from 1932, with its convoluted geo-based arrangement, that the brilliance of Beck's design really comes to life, in a diagram that is as fresh and original as if it had been created today.Many people are probably not aware that Harry Beck's prowess did not remain within the UK. In fact, in 1951 he would submit a revised edition of a map he had worked on for the Paris Metro in the late 1930s. This map was eventually rejected by the Metro administration and would end up being largely forgotten. On March 2009, Mark Ovenden - author of Transit Maps of the World - made a great post on the Creative Review Blog, describing this important episode in modern cartographic history. If one wants to see this map up-close, the best place to go is the London Transport Museum - a treasure trove to London Underground aficionados.
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Comments (7):
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I like your website, but you've got a real 20th century attitude towards displaying visual information, you're so worried about copyright violations, that you wont's allow their larger views of these images. I can't stand people being parsimonious with visual information just because they're worried some guy in China is going to put in on a tote bag.
Posted by Scott Bodenheimer on Jun 16, 2009 at 2:24 PM (GMT)
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Scott, sorry, do not agree with you. This is one heck of a site, lots of work, lots of energy to make it enjoyable for the likes of you & me. It's not niggardly to want to protect one or other's hard work. Reproducing the images here gives us a central point of consideration. Trust me, artists, commercial or non-commercial, seldom like to work for 'free' ... neither in China, or elsewhere. Best to you. And VC, keep up the great content production. It's great stuff.
Posted by lindsay on Jun 20, 2009 at 2:54 AM (GMT)
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it's "neither... nor..."
Posted by Gramm on Aug 24, 2009 at 3:12 PM (GMT)
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WOW
Posted by Aminooo on Sep 19, 2009 at 1:53 PM (GMT)
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Henry C Beck, created this map, not Harry!
Posted by salvatore on Oct 2, 2009 at 6:19 PM (GMT)
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Salvatore, even though his name was Henry Charles Beck, he is commonly known as Harry Beck. Here are some links that attest this widespread convention:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Harry_Beck
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/london/4769060.stm
http://www.ltmcollection.org/posters/artist/artist.html?IXartist=Harry+Beck
http://www.harrybeck.com/
Posted by Manuel Lima on Oct 8, 2009 at 12:59 PM (GMT)
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I followed the link to where one can compare the 1932 and 1933 map of London and I must say I resent the 1932 one as fresh and creative.
On the other hand the 1933 one is just the mother of the visual oppressive horrors that bad graphists and governments/enterprises propaganda wash my brain with since my birth.
How odd to find that in deed the world was better, before ...
Posted by diesel on Jan 9, 2010 at 7:42 PM (GMT)
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