A vintage Underground map showing the extent of the Metropolitan Railway before it was merged into the wider London Underground system in 1933. The rest of the Underground lines are marked in a very faint blue, making them almost invisible, while mainline railways are printed in the same shade of brown as the background map. Golf courses are marked on the map with little flag icons.

This purpose of this map was not to help customers navigate the Underground more easily; rather, it was a promotional guide to the areas served by the Metropolitan Railway, the only remaining independent underground railway in 1931. Much of the Metropolitan Railway's business strategy was to promote the growing western suburbs, or 'Metro-land' as they came to be called by the Met's publicity department. Many promotional brochures, guides, and maps of Metro-land were published in the 1920s and 1930s, as new homes in the suburbs were built at an astonishing pace. These homes would, of course, be served by new Metropolitan Railway stations - a captive market for the Met.

This Metro-land marketing drive explains why golf courses are included on this map - just one more reason to choose to move to the suburbs.

Printed colour. [LDN7316]