New York Subway Guide. Massimo Vignelli / NYC Transit Authority 1972 (2) map
SKU: P-6-108548
New York Subway Guide [Detailed list of Subway services on cover]
The first revised 1972 printing of Massimo Vignelli's iconic New York Subway fold out pocket map, with print code 1972 (2). This is the variant of the map with the detailed list of subway services on the cover. Created for the New York City Transit Authority by Vignelli at the Unimark International office, it was admired for the clarity of its aesthetic and regarded by designers as a modernist masterpiece. Influenced by pioneers like Harry Beck (London Underground), George Salomon, and Raleigh D’Adamo, Vignelli created a schematic that eschewed what he regarded as unnecessary detail, and which sought to emphasize clarity over geographic accuracy. However, his distortion of New York’s geography sparked heated debate. It left locals and tourists confused by its lack of street-level context and notable landmarks. Critics considered that it failed to bring simplicity and visual clarity to New York's complex and tangled web of Subway lines. One Chicago transit official derided it as "infamous regarding its utter uselessness to its intended audience", leading to its replacement in 1979 with a return to a more geographic map. Despite its short-lived use, the Vignelli map remains a instantly recognisable and enduring symbol of New York City and of modernist design.
Size 54 x 46 cm | 21.0 x 18.0 inches
Date Published: 1972 (2)
Type: Vintage modernist urban rail network plan
Author: Vignelli, Massimo
Publication: New York City Transit Authority
Condition: Good |
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