(London Wonderground Map) MacDonald Gill London The Heart of...

Estimate

£200 - £300

(London Wonderground Map) MacDonald Gill London The Heart of Britain's Empire Here Is Spread Out For Your View Lithographic poster, third state (1927) with a racing dog in a triangle to the top left, folded, six pinholes to edges, couple of small tears to folds and nibbles to edges, despite flaws this is a good bright copy, Printed and Published by the Westminster Press, 11 Henrietta Street, Covent Garden, London, [1927]. The Wonderground Map is a 1914 map of the London Underground, designed by MacDonald Gill and commissioned by Frank Pick, the Commercial Manager of the Underground Electric Railways Company of London. This version is the third of three editions, identified by a greyhound in the upper-left triangle above a sign reading "On to Wembley." In the first edition (1914), this triangle features houses, and in the second (1924), a lion replaces them. The map portrays London bustling with people who make humorous quips and puns about street names and locations. London was the world’s first city to establish a subway system, launching its first underground train line in 1863. However, by 1913, the London Underground faced significant challenges, widely regarded as outdated and inefficient. In response, the Underground’s commercial director, Frank Pick, called for “some eye-catching posters, distinct from general advertisement bills, that will make Londoners of all social classes proud to journey around their city and visit its attractions.” This led to the creation of the “Wonderground Map,” which became so popular that it was sold for display in homes and offices. The map is now credited with revitalizing the Tube. It also inspired numerous 20th-century mapmakers and ushered in a vibrant era of pictorial mapmaking worldwide, with similar “Wonder” maps emerging in cities like Melbourne, Mexico City, and Barcelona.