Post by mandgc on Jan 31, 2007 22:45:29 GMT
I have been reading Ken. Garland's "Mr. Beck's Underground Map " (again) and am wondering if Beck was a Genius or a Victim.
Most of the items on the Net about Mr.Beck refer to him as a Genius in designing his new Underground Map but not many go on to describe the apparent frustration he suffered later.
The Diagram started as a Labour of Love and Beck was fortunate in finally having it acccepted.The second or third issues of the Map perhaps reached their finest Art Form. It was unfortunate that so soon had the original been accepted by the LPTB that the 'New Works Program' ( Ongar/Bushey/Barnet / Denham/ Stanmore,etc.) needed to be imposed on the Map, almost doubling its extent. He managed to incorporate these additions as well as other 'bright Ideas'dreamed up by Ashfield ,downwards (diamond interchanges,etc.)
Beck, in a sense, started off on the wrong foot in his relationship with the Publicity Dept. and appears to have been too accomodating (Mr. Nice Guy). He also does not seem to have been sufficiently well reimbursed for the considerable effort he put into the work.
As the Organisation changed, (Nationalisation ,etc. and new staff in the Publicity Dept.) he became more frustrated at loosing control over the design and things came to a head when he clashed with Hutchinson.
Poor Beck had identified so much with his 'baby' that he could not let go and seems to have suffered quite considerably when he was cast aside.
The present day diagram, with its jazzy zones superimposed, has little in common with Beck's original ideas.
I feel that Beck,after the earlier adulation, found himself a Martyr to the cause.
Most of the items on the Net about Mr.Beck refer to him as a Genius in designing his new Underground Map but not many go on to describe the apparent frustration he suffered later.
The Diagram started as a Labour of Love and Beck was fortunate in finally having it acccepted.The second or third issues of the Map perhaps reached their finest Art Form. It was unfortunate that so soon had the original been accepted by the LPTB that the 'New Works Program' ( Ongar/Bushey/Barnet / Denham/ Stanmore,etc.) needed to be imposed on the Map, almost doubling its extent. He managed to incorporate these additions as well as other 'bright Ideas'dreamed up by Ashfield ,downwards (diamond interchanges,etc.)
Beck, in a sense, started off on the wrong foot in his relationship with the Publicity Dept. and appears to have been too accomodating (Mr. Nice Guy). He also does not seem to have been sufficiently well reimbursed for the considerable effort he put into the work.
As the Organisation changed, (Nationalisation ,etc. and new staff in the Publicity Dept.) he became more frustrated at loosing control over the design and things came to a head when he clashed with Hutchinson.
Poor Beck had identified so much with his 'baby' that he could not let go and seems to have suffered quite considerably when he was cast aside.
The present day diagram, with its jazzy zones superimposed, has little in common with Beck's original ideas.
I feel that Beck,after the earlier adulation, found himself a Martyr to the cause.
