Poster stories
Posters and London Transport
When Frank Pick, the first Chief Executive of London Transport, first took charge of the Underground’s publicity in 1908, he revolutionised poster design.
Pick believed that ‘there is room in posters for all styles’ and in the 1920s, he began to commission more adventurous posters.
This legacy established London Transport as a leading patron of the arts and brought the capital’s transport system critical and international acclaim for its graphic art and design.
Discover the history of poster design and commissioning.
Artists and their posters
Tom Eckersley: master graphic designer and king of collage. Read more about an influential poster designer with a distinctive style.
Edward McKnight Kauffer made his name as a master of poster design in the UK. Read more about the star designer of LT's posters.
Hans Unger was one of the UK’s most important post-war graphic designers. Explore Unger’s lively and varied LT posters.
Dora M. Batty (1891-1966) was one of the most prolific female artists commissioned by the Underground and London Transport, and created over fifty posters in a variety of different styles.
Tom Eckersley was an influential British graphic designer in the 20th century, who designed more than eighty posters for London Transport. His signature style combined bold, bright colours and flat graphic shapes.
Walter Spradbery was a prolific designer, painter and poet. Read about Spradbery's fruitful relationship with London Transport which spanned over three decades.
Laura Knight was one of the most popular British artists of her lifetime, with her success paving the way for greater recognition of women artists. Learn about Knight's poster commissions for London Underground and London Transport.
All poster stories
Tom Eckersley: master graphic designer and king of collage. Read more about an influential poster designer with a distinctive style.
Abram Games was among the most influential poster designers of his generation. Learn more about his commissions for London Transport.
Edward McKnight Kauffer made his name as a master of poster design in the UK. Read more about the star designer of LT's posters.
London’s public transport system is known the world over. Learn how and why posters were first commissioned by the Underground.
Learn about LT's advertising across history, from enamel signs in the late nineteenth century to digital screens in the twenty-first
Hans Unger was one of the UK’s most important post-war graphic designers. Explore Unger’s lively and varied LT posters.
Since 2004, London Underground have commissioned a variety of British and international artists to create covers for their pocket Tube maps, representing one of the largest public art commissions in the UK.
Dora M. Batty (1891-1966) was one of the most prolific female artists commissioned by the Underground and London Transport, and created over fifty posters in a variety of different styles.
Discover the history of one of the most famous elements of London's transport heritage - Harry Beck's Underground map.
The Elizabeth line, originally known as Crossrail, opened in May 2022. Read more about ten of its brand new stations.
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