Harry Beck

Harry Beck

Henry Charles Beck, known as Harry Beck, was an English technical draftsman best known for creating the present London Underground Tube map in 1931. Beck drew up the diagram in his spare time while working as an engineering draftsman at the London Underground Signals Office. London Underground was initially skeptical of Beck's radical proposal, an uncommissioned spare-time project, but tentatively introduced it to the public in a small pamphlet in1933. It was immediately popular, and the Underground has used topological maps to illustrate the network ever since.

Late 1920’s George Dow created a number of maps like the one above, which is where a lot of speculation comes from that Harry Becks London Underground map was inspired by Dows work.

Becks theory was that he believed that passengers riding the Underground were not too bothered about geographical accuracy, and were more interested in how to get from one station to another and where to change trains. Which is why he came up with the concept of electrical schematic system rather that a usual map as he believed it was easier to navigate.

Notes from session

Information is beautiful – info graphic book

Using colour to create a landscape you can explore with your eyes

Depth 3D – layers

Data is the new oil/soil

Date based CV

Population showed through size of shape

Connect date to one and other show the bigger picture

Hans’s Rosling

Password for security link – security

Write 150 words each take one element of the lesson

David Mcandelous

Stocks

Forbes