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An interesting and humorous depiction of an "Ideal City," designed by the British illustrator Ronald Lampitt to accompany a piece by John Pudney which appeared in the 17 February 1951 issue of Illustrated Magazine. This imagined city borrows features from several metropolises while leaving out their negative parts. What results is a hodgepodge of architectural styles The Acropolis sits on a hill outside of the city, and other prominent landmarks include King's College Cambridge, St. Paul's Cathedral, and the Piazza Della Signoria in Florence. Closer to the coast, at least three different downtowns are visible, modeled after New York City, the old town of Antibes, and colonial towns in the Carolinas.
The verso includes an extensive description of this ideal city, as written by John Pudney. Not only does he explain the design and layout of the city as seen on the front, but also the climate, business, transportation, and more of the city. He bases the cultural life on Edinburgh, but with four Festivals each year. Zurich street drainage is used to deal with the rapid thaw of the harsh, but brief winter which Pudney advocates for. The street structure will allow for the Jamaican trade winds to cool the avenues in August. The text is long and humorous, and the hopeful, Quixotic quest for an ideal city still resonates with the modern reader.
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