Locomotive Brass Plate - Harry Beck's 1931 London Underground Map Concept (2007)
Brass Plate - From Class 66 Locomotive 66721 ‘Harry Beck’ featuring a London Underground Diagram
Manufactured for GB Railfreight. 2007. Solid brass panel. Etched and lines coloured in black. Four mounting holes. Presented in a custom painted wood frame. Measures 34 cm x 27cm x 0.25cm. Panel weight 2.6kg. Date 2007. Condition: Excellent. Some indentations near edges and screw holes.
This brass plaque was produced for the Class 66 freight locomotive No.66721 ‘Harry Beck’ which was operated by GB Railfreight. The plaque features an extremely well executed etching of Harry Beck’s first concept drawing for a schematic map for the London Underground. It was installed alongside the ‘Harry Beck’ name plate from 2007 until new livery, celebrating 80 years of Beck’s map, was applied to the locomotive in 2013. Models of the 66721 Harry Beck locomotive by Bachmann and Hornby, complete with miniature versions of this plaque, are extremely popular among model railway enthusiasts.
Created by hand in his spare time, Harry Beck’s first concept diagram for a new schematic London Underground map was presented to London Underground executives in 1931. Surprisingly, it was initially rejected for being too radical. After some encouragement from his colleagues in the Drawing Office Beck presented his concept again in 1932 and this time it was approved with the first maps issued at stations from January 1933. For designing one of the most distinctive icons of London and transforming transit mapping across the world, Harry Beck was paid just a weeks wages!
Unlike the hand-drawn map on which it is based, this plaque has no station names or even the River Thames. It is a simple but accurate monochrome recreation of Beck’s concept. This is a stunning object and likely to be just one of a pair (one on each side).
Brass Plate - From Class 66 Locomotive 66721 ‘Harry Beck’ featuring a London Underground Diagram
Manufactured for GB Railfreight. 2007. Solid brass panel. Etched and lines coloured in black. Four mounting holes. Presented in a custom painted wood frame. Measures 34 cm x 27cm x 0.25cm. Panel weight 2.6kg. Date 2007. Condition: Excellent. Some indentations near edges and screw holes.
This brass plaque was produced for the Class 66 freight locomotive No.66721 ‘Harry Beck’ which was operated by GB Railfreight. The plaque features an extremely well executed etching of Harry Beck’s first concept drawing for a schematic map for the London Underground. It was installed alongside the ‘Harry Beck’ name plate from 2007 until new livery, celebrating 80 years of Beck’s map, was applied to the locomotive in 2013. Models of the 66721 Harry Beck locomotive by Bachmann and Hornby, complete with miniature versions of this plaque, are extremely popular among model railway enthusiasts.
Created by hand in his spare time, Harry Beck’s first concept diagram for a new schematic London Underground map was presented to London Underground executives in 1931. Surprisingly, it was initially rejected for being too radical. After some encouragement from his colleagues in the Drawing Office Beck presented his concept again in 1932 and this time it was approved with the first maps issued at stations from January 1933. For designing one of the most distinctive icons of London and transforming transit mapping across the world, Harry Beck was paid just a weeks wages!
Unlike the hand-drawn map on which it is based, this plaque has no station names or even the River Thames. It is a simple but accurate monochrome recreation of Beck’s concept. This is a stunning object and likely to be just one of a pair (one on each side).
Brass Plate - From Class 66 Locomotive 66721 ‘Harry Beck’ featuring a London Underground Diagram
Manufactured for GB Railfreight. 2007. Solid brass panel. Etched and lines coloured in black. Four mounting holes. Presented in a custom painted wood frame. Measures 34 cm x 27cm x 0.25cm. Panel weight 2.6kg. Date 2007. Condition: Excellent. Some indentations near edges and screw holes.
This brass plaque was produced for the Class 66 freight locomotive No.66721 ‘Harry Beck’ which was operated by GB Railfreight. The plaque features an extremely well executed etching of Harry Beck’s first concept drawing for a schematic map for the London Underground. It was installed alongside the ‘Harry Beck’ name plate from 2007 until new livery, celebrating 80 years of Beck’s map, was applied to the locomotive in 2013. Models of the 66721 Harry Beck locomotive by Bachmann and Hornby, complete with miniature versions of this plaque, are extremely popular among model railway enthusiasts.
Created by hand in his spare time, Harry Beck’s first concept diagram for a new schematic London Underground map was presented to London Underground executives in 1931. Surprisingly, it was initially rejected for being too radical. After some encouragement from his colleagues in the Drawing Office Beck presented his concept again in 1932 and this time it was approved with the first maps issued at stations from January 1933. For designing one of the most distinctive icons of London and transforming transit mapping across the world, Harry Beck was paid just a weeks wages!
Unlike the hand-drawn map on which it is based, this plaque has no station names or even the River Thames. It is a simple but accurate monochrome recreation of Beck’s concept. This is a stunning object and likely to be just one of a pair (one on each side).