Anyway, this was during the era of the TA's diagrammatic map when Hagstrom was trying to reconcile the new (pre-Chrystie) lettering system and other changes with their traditional map. This was printed the same size and style and probably from the same master board as the maps Hagstrom used to print for the Board of Transportation. It was printed one side only. I had it hanging over my light table to inspire my own ideas for a subway map.
Notice that it introduces the letters (T, TT) on the map itself. I'm particularly interested in Hagstrom's attempt at "color naming" the divisions, The Red Line, The Blue Line, The Green Line and The Black Line.
Has anyone seen the finished version of this? It isn't the same size as the folding subway maps Hagstrom sold in their shop (they were bigger). Was it used for a promotion, like free maps from a bank?
Douce Man on Wed Jan 16 18:23:30 2002
Considering it shows the Rockaway line, I'd say it came out in or after 1956. Probably 1958 since it shows the Mott Ave - Far Rockaway stop. If you say it shows the Chrystie Line then I guess it is a 1968 map.
What it might be is a map that Hagstrom was preparing for 1968. But TA never chose to use it. You have a rare map that was never meant for use.
J C Gridlock on Wed Jan 16 19:32:03 2002
To add to the mystery, I have a 1967 Hagstrom pocket atlas which does not refer to the divisions by name colors. Also, it has the IND in yellow.
Steve B-8AVEXP on Thu Jan 17 09:35:10 2002
I have a well-worn Hagstrom's subway map which uses the same colors as your example, plus it includes IRT numbers except for the 3rd Ave. el. It also shows the same BMT letter markings for the Southern Division only. I only wish I hadn't completely blacked out the Jamaica express and Broadway-Brooklyn local descriptions. Dumb move.
Paul Matus on Thu Jan 17 09:50:43 2002
Hagstrom generally used two consistent marking schemes for the divisions. In color, it was red for the IND (for its socialist origins ;-) ), blue for the IRT and yellow or green for the BMT.
Then there was a monocolor scheme for applications like the Yellow Pages, where a map appeared with each edition. IND was solid color, IRT was grey, BMT was alternating bands of black and clear, like a thick dashed, Elevateds were always thing black lines, whether BMT or IND.
Any variant of those would be a rarity, I think.
Bob Sklar on Fri Jan 18 09:44:05 2002
Hagstrom changed the BMT to green in order to be able to display the Southern Division letters, as on the map sample a few posts back. Previous to that time, the BMT had always been shown as yellow. Hagstrom used the same basic map back to about 1932, until they replaced it with the one currently available.