New York Subway Guide [Title on Verso]

One of the worst transit maps ever created, at least in the eyes of some.

This confusing diagram outlining the routes of the New York City Transit Authority was originally designed by Massimo Vignelli in 1972. Despite befuddlement from locals and tourists alike over the absence of street information or notable landmarks, the design was updated in several different editions until 1978. One former Chicago Transit Authority official notes, “That subway map is infamous regarding its utter uselessness to its intended audience.”

This particular example was published in 1977, and includes extensive text instructions at the top of the sheet. One particular excerpt that catches the theme of the map nicely: “In Manhattan, uptown is north and downtown is south. Downtown Brooklyn is the area nearest downtown Manhattan.”