Vintage London Underground Poster

Historical Background

MacDonald Gill’s Wonderground Map began as a large advertising poster commissioned for the Underground in 1913 and displayed at stations from 1914.

Rather than producing a conventional transport diagram, Gill transformed London into an elaborate illustrated world. The poster was intended to entertain passengers and encourage them to use public transport for leisure as well as the daily commute.

Map Details

• Original title: The Wonderground Map of London Town
• Cartographer and artist: Leslie MacDonald Gill
• Commissioned by: Frank Pick for the Underground Electric Railways Company of London
• Original design: 1914
• Edition reproduced: Later state associated with the 1924 British Empire Exhibition
• Printer of the later map: The Westminster Press
• Area shown: Central London and its surrounding districts
• Orientation: North approximately towards the top
• Map style: Decorative pictorial advertising map
• Notable feature: “On to Wembley” reference added for the 1924 edition

Underground stations appear as repeated red-and-blue entrances distributed throughout the city. Yellow roads connect districts on both sides of the Thames, while buses, trains and other forms of transport move among the buildings.

Hyde Park and Regent’s Park provide prominent areas of green within the tightly packed townscape. Real streets and landmarks are combined with speech bubbles, visual jokes and imaginary incidents, rewarding repeated inspection.

Gill surrounded the map with a bold black-and-white chevron border. Decorative panels identify St Marylebone, Holborn, Kensington, Southwark, Chelsea, Westminster and Lambeth, giving the design something of the appearance of an illuminated medieval map.

The upper border carries the words “The Heart of Britain’s Empire Here Is Spread Out for Your View.” This language reflects the imperial outlook promoted in Britain during the 1920s and is especially relevant to this edition’s connection with the British Empire Exhibition at Wembley.

The small “On to Wembley” detail helps distinguish this later state from Gill’s original 1914 design. It refers to the enormous exhibition opened at Wembley in April 1924, which was served by London’s expanding public transport network and heavily promoted to visitors.