The striking symbol that is recognised across the globe was the brainchild of Underground electrical draughtsman, Harry Beck, who produced this imaginative yet stunningly simple design back in 1933.
Beck based the map on the circuit diagrams he drew for his day job, stripping the sprawling Tube network down to basics.
The result was an instantly clear and comprehensible chart that would become an essential guide to London - and a template for transport maps the world over.
Beck's revolutionary design, with certain modifications and additions, survives to the present day and is set to serve London Underground and its millions of customers for many years to come.
(poached from :
http://www.londontransport.co.uk/tube/mau_maps.sht
ml)