Poster; Costs; the rising tide and profits, by Poy (Percy Hutton Fearon), 1920

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Main details

Main details for this item.

Reference number	1983/4/905
Description	Percy Hutton Fearon was a cartoonist who worked under the name of Poy. He worked for the London Evening News between 1913 and 1935. He was commissioned to design this poster for the Underground Electric Railways Company (U.E.R.L.) in 1920. The U.E.R.L, which also controlled the London General Omnibus Company and a number of tram operators, had seen passenger numbers and revenues increase substantially during the First World War. In 1918, the company was able to pay its shareholders dividends for the first time. There were some complaints about rising ticket prices, but these were partly a result of increases in wages and in the price of coal after the end of the war. The U.E.R.L. engaged the popular cartoonist to use humour to explain its position to passengers.
Artist	Poy
Dates	1920
Collection	Posters
Object type	Poster
Print code	190.2000.19.3.20
Location	Acton Depot
Topics	Operating costs Wages Profits Cartoons Passenger information
Completeness	85% 85% ?

• Physical description

  Dimensions

  Attribute	Value
  Height	1016mm
  Width	635mm
  Descriptive size	Double royal

  Colour

  Attribute	Value
  Colour	Beige Black

  Item content

  Attribute	Value
  Object title	Costs; the rising tide and profits
  Text	COSTS COMPARE A FEW COSTS 1913 WAGES......#2,000,000 PETROL......#400,000 COAL......#169,000 1919 WAGES......#5,400,000 PETROL......#1,300,000 COAL......#515,000 THE RISING TIDE HOW THE MONEY GOES WAGES UP...173% PETROL UP...280% COAL UP...182% PROFITS! 1918 THE COMPANIES EARNED......#7,743,451 THE COMPANIES PAID OUT......#7,111,761 LEAVING FOR DIVIDENDS......#631,690 1919 THE COMPANIES EARNED......#10,240,469 THE COMPANIES PAID OUT......#9,744,082 LEAVING FOR DIVIDENDS......#496,387* *BUT FOR THE GOVERNMENT SUBSIDY OF #566,370 THERE WOULD HAVE BEEN A DEFICIT UNDERGROUND

  Design

  Attribute	Value
  Stylistic approach	Cartoon

• People involved

  Role	Person(s) involved
  Artist	Poy, 1920
  Printer	Waterlow & Sons Ltd,
  Publisher	Underground Electric Railway Company Ltd, 1920