LONDON RAILWAY ARCADE. Central/Piccadilly Line precursor. HAWKSHAW 1855 map

£90

SKU: P-6-012095

'Proposed London Railway Arcade. Plan referred to by Mr Hawkshaw and Mr Parrott in their evidence of 7th and 8th June 1855'


In 1855, Sir John Hawkshaw proposed what could have been the world's first Underground railway (although the construction of the Metropolitan line, which opened in 1863, had already received Royal assent at the date of publication of this map), which he called the "Railway Arcade", by virtue of its covered, sub-surface nature. Two separate branches were proposed (running along Oxford Street and Piccadilly respectively) which converged at Covent Garden to form a single underground line running to St Paul's. The technology did not exist at that time to tunnel underneath existing buildings leaving them untouched (the Metropolitan line was built by the "cut and cover" method). The line east of Covent Garden would therefore have involved constructing a new street, with the railway running underneath it. These routes form a strong resemblance to the central parts of today's Central and Piccadilly lines, opened in 1900 and 1906 respectively.

Select:

Size 31 x 62 cm | 12.0 x 24.5 inches

Date Published: 23 July 1855

Type: Antique map, prepared for consideration by the British Parliamentary Select Committee on Metropolitan Communication

Author: Other cartographers

Mr Hawkshaw and Mr Parrott. Sir John Hawkshaw. Hawkshaw was an English civil engineer. In London he was responsible for the Charing Cross and Cannon Street railways, together with the two bridges which carried them over the Thames; he was engineer of the East London railway, which passes under the Thames through Sir Marc & Isambard Kingdom Brunel's well-known tunnel; and jointly with Sir J Wolfe-Barry he constructed the section of the Underground railway which completed the inner circle between the Aldgate and Mansion House stations.

Publication: Metropolitan Communications Hansard Report

"Report from the Select Committee on Metropolitan Communications; together with the proceedings of the Committee, minutes of evidence and appendix", order by The House of Commons, to be printed, 23 July 1855, Henry Hansard [Metropolitan Communications Hansard Report]

Condition: Good |

Good; suitable for framing. Repaired splits along folds. Please check the scan for any blemishes prior to making your purchase. This is a folding map. There is nothing printed on the reverse side, which is plain

Delivery & Returns

Packing

Items smaller than A4 size are usually packed in a stiffened, board-backed envelope. Larger items are rolled and packed in postal tubes. Large items which are too stiff to be rolled in wide-diameter tubes are mailed in all-board envelopes. In the unlikely event of damage in transit, please send the affected item or items back to us and we will provide a replacement or refund.

Delivery

Economy, tracked and express shipping options are available to all destinations worldwide. Over half our orders are sent to customers outside the United Kingdom and we have supplied over 30,000 buyers in over 70 different countries. We ship orders virtually every business day to customers in North America and Europe. The cost of delivery depends on the size of the largest item in your order, where you are located, and the delivery method that you choose at checkout. For orders received before 2pm, we can arrange delivery next day in the UK, within 2 business days to continental Europe and North America, and within 4 days to most other countries worldwide (excludes PO Box or APO/FPO (Military) addresses).

Returns

We accept returns for any reason if sent back to us within 14 days of receipt of your order. If any of your items are not as described, we will provide a full refund including reasonable return postage costs upon safe return to us. If you have changed your mind, you are responsible for the cost of returning the item to us. We describe the size, age and condition of all our products as fully and accurately as possible. Most of the items which we sell are in very good condition. However, the condition of antique and vintage prints and maps can vary. All of our product listings including a statement which classifies the condition as being either “Good”, “Fair”, or (rarely) “Poor” and which describes any material flaws, blemishes, imperfections or other significant features such as folds. Please read the description carefully before purchase.

Can we help? For more details or any questions.

Recently Viewed

Condition Guide

We assess the condition of each item using three categories: Good, Fair, and Poor. We strive to ensure that any significant flaws are clearly shown in the images provided and detailed in the accompanying condition statement.

Good

The item presents well, with no significant flaws, and is in frameable condition. Minor imperfections—such as light spotting or offsetting, small blemishes, tight margins, neatly repaired tears, or discreet/professionally executed restoration—do not materially detract from its overall appearance.

Fair

The item shows noticeable flaws but remains in frameable condition. Some buyers may feel these imperfections affect its visual appeal. Typical issues may include more prominent spotting, blemishes, bleed-through from the reverse, obvious offsetting, visible or extensive restoration, wear along fold lines or junctures, small wormholes, trimmed or closely cropped edges, or less carefully executed repairs.

Poor

The item has major flaws that significantly impact its presentation and/or suitability for framing. These may include heavy spotting, staining, bleed-through, offsetting, unrepaired damage, or poorly executed repairs such as tears, holes, or areas of paper loss (including within the printed image). The item may also be fragile and prone to further deterioration.