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Harry Beck’s first London Underground maps sell for £50,000

The collection included an annotated proof of Harry Beck’s early designs for an updated Underground map
The collection included an annotated proof of Harry Beck’s early designs for an updated Underground map
DANIEL CROUCH RARE BOOKS

Harry Beck imposed order onto chaos — before him, maps of the London Underground were a confusing jumble of lines. But despite the legacy he left, he may never have been paid for the design which lives with us to this day and is now raking in the cash.

A collection of his works, including an annotated proof of his first map in 1933, has sold for £50,000 at a rare book fair. The unnamed vendor worked with the seller Daniel Crouch Rare Books at Firsts, the London Rare Book Fair, which took place this weekend at the Saatchi Gallery.

The 1933 proof is something of a foundational text for the history of the map. It was sent to Beck before publication and shows his