12 August 2003

Marginalia around underground / tube maps NYC: both Todd Glickman and Peter Lloyd maintain records of NYC subway maps, which include a series of six or so issued in the days/weeks after 911. By all accounts, that period was handled very well. These maps occasionally come up on eBay and tended to have: a box which stated when the map was reissued and referred travellers to mta.nyc.ny.us for more updates, and a speech-bubble enlargement showing the lower Manhattan area. London: the best records of issued maps are probably Letch's London Transport Bus and Tube Maps 1920-2000 and Burwood and Brady's London Transport Maps 2nd edition, 1983. An unofficial London tube map form 2003 when the Central line was closed after a crash. Picking up on ET's comment that the London tube map is highly optinmised for its context, can we recognise cities from the thumbnail images on these Google Images searches? (and does that actually tell us anything useful about their design?): subway map, tube map, metro map. 3:13:42 PM     comments

Edward Tufte on London Underground Map Someone asked ET about the London tube map which prompted a linkful and thoughtful discussion. The interchange symbols on the Madrid map apparently indicate how far you have to walk to change lines - something the London tube might usefully provide because whilst some interchanges are conveniently across the platform, but others are loooong, eg: Bank-Monument, or (various examples) on the Northern line due to semi-permanent repair works happening in the stations. The Moscow metro map is a little forbidding. But this one for the city of ??? is interesting: some stations have rotational symbols to indicate that you can change there, and it looks as if there are two, differently named stations ('I' and 'II') at those interchanges. Relic of bureacracy or cutting edge solution to problems with people-flow? Also found whilst we were on ET.com: ET reviews Ken Garland's Mr Beck's Underground Map Minard: the classic Napoleon's invasion of and retreat from Russia, 1812 map, and the less classic (but good) Hannibal into Italy map. See also Minard biblio. Still on the subject of war, A Narrative Graphic of The U-Boat war in the Atlantic 1939-1945 ET explains the forum moderation policy: We particularly seek to avoid the chronic internet disease of "All Opinions, All the Time" discussion on ISO paper sizes Project management graphics 11:54:54 AM     comments