John Tauranac
Encyclopedia
John Tauranac writes on New York history
and architecture, he teaches the subject and gives tours of the city, and he designs city map
s and transit maps.
His first published maps (1972 and 1973) were New York Magazine’s “Undercover Maps,” which showed how to navigate passageways through and under buildings in Midtown and Lower Manhattan
so you could stay dry in the wet and warm in the cold.
Tauranac wrote the guidebooks for the Culture Bus Loops operated by New York’s Metropolitan Transportation Authority
as a freelance project for the Municipal Art Society
(1973, 1974), whereupon he was hired by the MTA to write and edit “Seeing New York: The Official MTA Travel Guide
,” which included a depiction of the subway in a geographic light (1976). He went on to chair the MTA subway map committee and to be the design chief of the 1979 subway map (along with Michael Hertz
, credited for the design) which, in addition to depicting the subway in a geographic perspective, simplified the system with the introduction of a color-coding system based on trunk lines. For his dual roles, he was awarded a commendation for design excellence by the National Endowment for the Arts
and the U.S. Department of Transportation
. He has since designed dozens of maps, many under the Tauranac imprint, including Manhattan Block By Block: A Street Atlas.
Tauranac’s books include The Empire State Building: The Making of a Landmark, Elegant New York, Essential New York, and The View From the 86th Floor. His articles have appeared in The New York Times
, The New York Observer
, The Wall Street Journal
, Travel & Leisure, New York Magazine
, Seaport Magazine, The Encyclopedia of New York City
, and other publications.
Tauranac teaches New York City history and architecture at NYU’s School of Continuing & Professional Studies, where he was given an award for teaching excellence in 2006.
To celebrate the 100th anniversary of the consolidation of New York City, Tauranac was named a Centennial Historian of the City of New York by the Mayor’s Office for his work in history.
He serves on the advisory board of the Art Deco
Society of New York and on the board of the Cornwall Connecticut Historical Society in Connecticut.
Tauranac received his undergraduate degree from Columbia University’s School of General Studies, where he majored in English literature, and his graduate degree from New York University’s Graduate School of Arts and Science, where his area of study was American urban history.
He lives on Manhattan’s Upper West Side with his wife and daughter.
History of New York
The history of New York begins around 10,000 BCE, when the first Native Americans arrived. By 1100 CE, New York's main tribes, the Iroquoian and Algonquian cultures, had developed. New York was discovered by the French in 1524 and first claimed in 1609 by the Dutch...
and architecture, he teaches the subject and gives tours of the city, and he designs city map
City map
A city map is a large-scale thematic map of a city created to enable the fastest possible orientation in an urban space. The graphic representation of objects on a city map is therefore usually greatly simplified, and reduced to generally understood symbology.Depending upon its target group or...
s and transit maps.
His first published maps (1972 and 1973) were New York Magazine’s “Undercover Maps,” which showed how to navigate passageways through and under buildings in Midtown and Lower Manhattan
Lower Manhattan
Lower Manhattan is the southernmost part of the island of Manhattan, the main island and center of business and government of the City of New York...
so you could stay dry in the wet and warm in the cold.
Tauranac wrote the guidebooks for the Culture Bus Loops operated by New York’s Metropolitan Transportation Authority
Metropolitan Transportation Authority (New York)
The Metropolitan Transportation Authority of the State of New York is a public benefit corporation responsible for public transportation in the U.S...
as a freelance project for the Municipal Art Society
Municipal Art Society
The Municipal Art Society of New York, founded in 1893, is a non-profit membership organization that fights for intelligent urban planning, design and preservation through education, dialogue and advocacy in New York City....
(1973, 1974), whereupon he was hired by the MTA to write and edit “Seeing New York: The Official MTA Travel Guide
Guide book
A guide book is a book for tourists or travelers that provides details about a geographic location, tourist destination, or itinerary. It is the written equivalent of a tour guide...
,” which included a depiction of the subway in a geographic light (1976). He went on to chair the MTA subway map committee and to be the design chief of the 1979 subway map (along with Michael Hertz
Michael Hertz Associates
Michael Hertz Associates is a New York City graphic design firm, best known for its 1979 design of the New York City subway map and the station and subway car signage systems that the map engendered. The 1979 map, with some modifications, remains in use today...
, credited for the design) which, in addition to depicting the subway in a geographic perspective, simplified the system with the introduction of a color-coding system based on trunk lines. For his dual roles, he was awarded a commendation for design excellence by the National Endowment for the Arts
National Endowment for the Arts
The National Endowment for the Arts is an independent agency of the United States federal government that offers support and funding for projects exhibiting artistic excellence. It was created by an act of the U.S. Congress in 1965 as an independent agency of the federal government. Its current...
and the U.S. Department of Transportation
United States Department of Transportation
The United States Department of Transportation is a federal Cabinet department of the United States government concerned with transportation. It was established by an act of Congress on October 15, 1966, and began operation on April 1, 1967...
. He has since designed dozens of maps, many under the Tauranac imprint, including Manhattan Block By Block: A Street Atlas.
Tauranac’s books include The Empire State Building: The Making of a Landmark, Elegant New York, Essential New York, and The View From the 86th Floor. His articles have appeared in The New York Times
The New York Times
The New York Times is an American daily newspaper founded and continuously published in New York City since 1851. The New York Times has won 106 Pulitzer Prizes, the most of any news organization...
, The New York Observer
New York Observer
The New York Observer is a weekly newspaper first published in New York City on September 22, 1987, by Arthur L. Carter, a very successful former investment banker with publishing interests. The Observer focuses on the city's culture, real estate, the media, politics and the entertainment and...
, The Wall Street Journal
The Wall Street Journal
The Wall Street Journal is an American English-language international daily newspaper. It is published in New York City by Dow Jones & Company, a division of News Corporation, along with the Asian and European editions of the Journal....
, Travel & Leisure, New York Magazine
New York (magazine)
New York is a weekly magazine principally concerned with the life, culture, politics, and style of New York City. Founded by Milton Glaser and Clay Felker in 1968 as a competitor to The New Yorker, it was brasher and less polite than that magazine, and established itself as a cradle of New...
, Seaport Magazine, The Encyclopedia of New York City
The Encyclopedia of New York City
The Encyclopedia of New York City is a comprehensive reference book on New York City. Historian and Columbia University professor Kenneth T...
, and other publications.
Tauranac teaches New York City history and architecture at NYU’s School of Continuing & Professional Studies, where he was given an award for teaching excellence in 2006.
To celebrate the 100th anniversary of the consolidation of New York City, Tauranac was named a Centennial Historian of the City of New York by the Mayor’s Office for his work in history.
He serves on the advisory board of the Art Deco
Art Deco
Art deco , or deco, is an eclectic artistic and design style that began in Paris in the 1920s and flourished internationally throughout the 1930s, into the World War II era. The style influenced all areas of design, including architecture and interior design, industrial design, fashion and...
Society of New York and on the board of the Cornwall Connecticut Historical Society in Connecticut.
Tauranac received his undergraduate degree from Columbia University’s School of General Studies, where he majored in English literature, and his graduate degree from New York University’s Graduate School of Arts and Science, where his area of study was American urban history.
He lives on Manhattan’s Upper West Side with his wife and daughter.
Selected Books
- Essential New York: A Guide to the History and Architecture of Manhattan’s Important Buildings, Parks, and Bridges, with over 170 photographs by Dave Sagarin, 1979, Holt Rinehart & Winston;
- Elegant New York: The Builders and The Buildings, 1885–1915, 1985, Abbeville Press;
- The Empire State Building: The Making of a Landmark, 1995, Scribner; 1997, St. Martin’s Press;
- The View From the 86th Floor: The Empire State Building and New York City, various editions, 1997–;
- New York From the Air: An Architectural Heritage, 1998, Harry N. Abrams; revised, 2002.
Selected Maps
- New York City SubwayNew York City SubwayThe New York City Subway is a rapid transit system owned by the City of New York and leased to the New York City Transit Authority, a subsidiary agency of the Metropolitan Transportation Authority and also known as MTA New York City Transit...
Map Prototype, MTA, 1978; - New York City Subway Map, MTA, 1979;
- Manhattan Subway and Bus Map-Wallet Size, Tauranac Maps, 1989, revised;
- Manhattan Block By Block: A Street Atlas, Tauranac Maps, 2000, revised;
- Manhattan Line By Line: A Subway & Bus Atlas, Tauranac Maps, 2004.