Today the London Underground turns 150. The Tube opened on 9 January 1863. Yes, the whole endeavour is a marvel of engineering, but from a design perspective think of the map, man. Think of the map. The Underground map is now 150 years old. And we all know transit maps are cool.
Of course the map has evolved and changed over all those years and at the Huffington Post UK, there is an article with a slideshow of different maps. The one below being the first map to show the combined lines.
The first map of the combined lines
Compare that original system map to the 150th anniversary map.
The 2013 map
Credit for the photos goes to the London Transport Museum, via the Huffington Post.
Author: Brendan Barry
I am a graphic designer who focuses on information design. My day job? Well, they asked me not to say. But to be clear, this blog is my something I do on my own time and does not represent the views of…my employers. I think what I can say is that given my interest in information design—be it in the shape of clear charts, maps, diagrams, or wayfinding systems—I am fortunate that my day job focuses on data visualisation. Outside of work, I try to stay busy with personal design work. Away from the world of design, I have become an amateur genealogist and family historian. You will sometimes see that area of work bleed into my posts.
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