Old Map of London's West End in 1915 by Max Gill - Theatreland Tube Map

This striking map, drawn by Leslie Macdonald 'Max' Gill in 1915, was commissioned by Frank Pick of the London Underground Electric Railway Company specifically to lure a wartime public back to the theatres of the West End, and in doing so to boost evening travel on the Underground. Unlike Gill's earlier, brightly coloured Wonderground map, Theatreland depicts London's West End at night, rendered in dark red, mustard yellow and green, giving it a moodier, more theatrical atmosphere befitting its subject.

The design is built around the idea of a theatre stage seen from the auditorium, with a proscenium arch decorated in London Underground roundels, each naming a West End theatre and its nearest station. The map is bordered on three sides by the names of thirty-eight London theatres, arranged like stage curtains being hauled up by illustrated stagehands and orchestra members. Gill also worked in wartime references, including the Lyceum Theatre, which was struck during the Theatreland Raid of October 1915, and a small illustrated anecdote of a Zeppelin over Lincoln's Inn Fields with a note reading 'a real bomb'.

This map suits a theatre lover's birthday or Christmas gift, a housewarming present for someone moving to London, an anniversary gift for a couple who enjoy a night at the theatre, or a corporate gift for a business in the West End. Every roundel, theatre name and hand-drawn figure has been carefully restored so the detail of Gill's wartime design comes through clearly.