Edward McKnight Kauffer: the Poster King

Born in the USA in 1890, Edward McKnight Kauffer made his name as a master of poster design in the UK. 

After studying in the US and Paris, Kauffer came to London in 1914. The following year he was commissioned to design his first Underground poster by Frank Pick, who at the time was the Underground’s Commercial Manager but who later became the Chief Executive of London Transport (LT). 

From 1915 until Kauffer’s return to the USA in 1940, he became the star designer of London’s public transport posters and they were his most important client.
 

Kauffer designed posters for an array of other organisations, from airlines to the General Post Office, and also designed book jackets and illustrations, stage sets and textiles. In 1923, Kauffer met textile designer Marion Dorn and they lived as a couple until Kauffer’s death, marrying in 1950.

Over 40 years, Kauffer’s posters were characteristically his, and yet varied stylistically. His posters translated his modernist art influences – including cubism, futurism and surrealism – into accessible commercial design.

Following the outbreak of the Second World War in 1939, Kauffer returned to the USA in 1940, where he continued a successful career. However, this return spelt the end of his long relationship with LT. He died in New York in 1954.

Here we survey a selection of Kauffer’s posters for the Underground and LT, highlighting the evolution of his style.
 

‘In Watford’ was one of Kauffer’s very first Underground posters in 1915. It is typical of his work in this early period, with bold use of flat colour in a highly decorative style that incorporates hand-painted typography. 

‘Godstone’ was also designed by Kauffer in 1915, though published by the Underground in 1916. It also uses an impactful flat colour style, managing to render the famous quarry associated with Godstone in Surrey as a stunningly visual poster.
 

These two designs were both typical of Kauffer’s style by 1920, using flat colour to emphasise the decorative quality of flora and fauna, as well as hand-painted lettering that suited the poetic text underneath.  

The design on the left is an original poster artwork prior to the printed poster, showing how Kauffer often worked in gouache, a water-based paint containing white pigment to make it opaque that was often used by poster artists. 
 

These two Kauffer posters from 1924 share elements of his earlier designs, while also showing an element of evolution in his approach. ‘Hadley Wood by tram’, in particular, uses a more painterly style with slightly looser brush strokes. While both emphasised the pleasant rural landscapes on the fringes of London, they still did so with a modern edge.

These designs, the first an original artwork, show Kauffer’s modernist tendencies in Underground posters published three years apart. 

Both integrate stylised figures with depictions of the weather or seasons, incorporating hand-painted typography in the design. They both boldly use cubist-influenced geometric shapes in strong colours. Both successfully convey a clear message, as well as associating the Underground with cutting edge design.
 

By 1930, Kauffer had absorbed further modernist art into his approach. Both of these posters show the influence of the Bauhaus movement with their use of a bold and impactful graphic approach and prominent use of black, red and blue.

‘Power’ is particularly bold in using a stylised forearm linking Lots Road power station – which supplied the network’s electricity – with the Underground lettering at the bottom.
 

Kauffer’s poster featuring the Tower of London is indicative of his style in the mid-1930s, with his depictions of landscapes or architecture often featuring moody skies and cleverly using outlines to convey detail.

‘Spring in the village’ is typical of his use of photography, often integrating photographs with hand-painted elements. Kauffer was typically on trend at a time when photomontage in poster design was fashionable and impactful.

Only two years after this poster, Kauffer had his last poster designs for LT printed in 1938. He did produce further work for them in 1939, but it was never published. Kauffer’s return to the USA in 1940 signalled the end of what had been a highly productive and mutually beneficial partnership.