Underground Art: London Transport Posters 1908 to the Present

by Oliver Green

Since 1908, with the appointment of the enlightened Frank Pick as publicity officer, London Transport has been a major patron of art in Britain, commissioning posters and other artworks from such notable artists as Edward McKnight Kauffer, Paul Nash, Graham Sutherland, Man Ray and others. These posters did not merely promote travel by tube, but also encouraged people to go to plays and concerts, visit the zoo or the countryside, or move to Metroland. The resulting art collection is one of stunning diversity, comprising over 3000 original posters. The distinguished tradition of art patronage has been vigorously continued since the early years, particularly in recent times, with new works being commissioned from David Hockney among others. This second edition brings the story right up to date with an additional chapter covering the years 1989-2000, as well as an updated introduction and biographies of the artists.

Genres: Art, Nonfiction, London, Travel

160 pages, Paperback

First published January 3, 1991

Reviews

[Scott Benowitz · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is the sequel to Oliver Green's "Underground Art" (Laurence King Publishers, 1990).
this book is comprised of reprints of posters which have advertised the London underground system. Most of the posters which are reprinted in this book date from the 20th century, and there are a handful of posters in this book which are from the first years of the 21st century.
The various agencies which have operated the London underground system since the 19th century have always hired teams of highly skilled graphic designers to create the posters which advertised the subway system in London.
For the past 150 years, the teams of graphic designers who have drawn the posters which advertise the subway system in London and the suburbs have drawn very interesting posters- the style seems to be not too simple and concurrently not too complex, with perfect attention to angles and use of colors- which is ideal for posters which are intended to advertise public transport. People who design posters which advertise public transit systems know that they're designing posters which most people who see them will only spend no more than a few seconds looking at them; most people usually only briefly glimpse at the posters which advertise public transit while they walk past the posters. However, if you do take the time to look closely at the posters which have been advertising the London underground for the past 120 years, you'll see that there has always been a lot of advanced craftsmanship involved in the process of designing these posters.
If you're interested in the history of graphic design, if you're interested in the history of urban public transportation systems, if you're interested in the history of advertising, or if you're interested in the history of London, you'll thoroughly enjoy this book.

[Dísa · Rating 3 out of 5]

Informative in a light but interesting manner, lots of great pictures of posters and great design

[Bill · Rating 5 out of 5]

This excellent guide to London Underground posters has many fine examples of items that people would have passed as they travelled across the city. There is a brief & informative history behind the works, but the joy lies in the numerous reproductions of almost 100 years of outstanding artistry.