A Pictorial History of the London Tube and Its Graphic Legacy
By Maria Popova
2013 marks the 150th anniversary of the London Tube, the world’s first subway system. While its map alone has been the subject of much creative interpretation and fascination, its complete story is — a whirlwind at the intersection of design, engineering, politics, urbanism, and social reform — remains somewhat poorly understood.
In Underground: How the Tube Shaped London (public library), David Bownes, former head curator at the London Transport Museum and current assistant director of collections at London’s National Army Museum, sets out to remedy this by tracing the evolution of the Tube as a technological breakthrough, a feat of design and engineering, and a powerful social force.

Image courtesy London Transport Museum

Image courtesy London Transport Museum

Image courtesy London Transport Museum

Image courtesy London Transport Museum

Image courtesy London Transport Museum

Image courtesy London Transport Museum

Image courtesy London Transport Museum
To mark the 150th anniversary, The London Transport Museum is also putting on an exhibition titled Poster Art 150: London Underground’s Greatest Designs, running until October 27. Here’s a taste:
Pair Underground: How the Tube Shaped London with the almost true story of New York’s subway Helvetica.
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Published February 27, 2013
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https://www.themarginalian.org/2013/02/27/underground-how-the-tube-shaped-london/
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