Original 1908 London Underground Map and Franco-British Exhibition Map & Guide

When you click on links to various merchants on this site and make a purchase, this can result in this site earning a commission. Affiliate programs and affiliations include, but are not limited to, the eBay Partner Network.

Original 1908 London Underground Map and Franco-British Exhibition Map & Guide:
$174.40

A rare \'unified\' map of the London Underground from 1908, inset within a beautiful colour map of the Franco-British Exhibition (London). Attached to a guide book of the Exhibition, featuring a lovely (and for then, extravagant) colour illustration on the front cover. The Franco-British Exhibition was held near Shepherds Bush (now White City) and was a flamboyant celebration of the the \'Entente Cordiale\' between France and British signed in 1904.

Within this fascinating hard-cover guide book, amonst lovely old adverts and photographs, is a large fold out map of the Exhibition, featuring one of the earliest examples of the \'Unified\' Underground system, which had, in the same year, come together under the UERL consortium to release the first unified map.

Prior to1907, the various underground railway companiesoperatedindependentlyand in competition with each other. 1907 sawthe unification of the rival companies under the a newly formed consortium, theUERL (Underground Electric Railways of London) having realised all the lineswould benefit with a unified system, where one lines passengers would feedanother and joint marketing and mapping had greater impact in raising passengernumbers. This is a single colour edition of the \'brand new\' unified map, issued in the same year.

A rareand beautiful map from a time of incredible ambition and when the BritishEmpire was at its peak.

Availableto anyone in the world.