It shows only the central stations with each one noted within a bubble, showing the station and its nearby roads.
This copy in the 4ft 2in x 3ft 4in (1.27 x 1.02m) quad royal size is believed to be part of a small run printed in early 1935. It has some wear and tear but sold for £2100 (estimate £2000-3000) at Bristol auction house Auctioneum (21% buyer’s premium) on December 22.
The ‘Bubble Map’ had its admirers but it was never repeated following the success of Harry Beck’s Tube map of 1933. It effectively won the war for mapping of the London Underground with publishers such as Stanford choosing instead to focus on mapping London above ground.
A better copy of the ‘Bubble Map’ was offered by Bonhams as part of an online sale in February 2021 with a guide of £9000-11,000 but failed to sell.
