London has many ancient things - Buckingham Palace, Big Ben, the grumpy commuters, all historic. One that’s easy to forget amongst the long list of history and culture is the humble little Tube. With the likes of the swanky Lizzie line and clean-as-a-whistle (sometimes) Jubilee Line, it’s easy to forget that the London Underground has seen two world wars, six monarchs, and infinite numbers of harassed commuters.
Now, for the first time, some of the first graphic art posters displayed in the Underground in the 1920s and 30s have gone on display. If you’re a Gatsby-loving art-deco enthusiast, you’re going to love it.
The posters were created in a distinctive Art Deco style at the height of the design movement, and were displayed in Tube stations over a century ago in a bid to encourage locals to travel on the network to explore the city.
A lot of the artwork in the collection features London landmarks and the highbrow, high-living side of London - sort of like the original form of influencers - showing scenes of the glamorous living golden era.
The exhibition is being held at the London Transport Museum, and it has been said that this collection has become part of London Transport’s world-famous visual identity.
Titled The Art Deco: The Golden Age of Poster Design exhibition, it will be laid across the Global Poster Gallery, and features more than 100 posters that were all used across the system during the era. And at least a third of them have never been displayed in public before.
It sort of feels like some of the retro-chic posters and prints you’ll find scattered around some of London’s independent markets and pop-ups, with local landmarks and lifestyle scenes from London’s most recognisable spots. The exhibition itself is marking the centenary of the 1925 International Exhibition of Modern Decorative and Industrial Arts in Paris, which is widely believed to be the catalyst for the mass appeal of the recognisable style.
The exhibition opens on 21st November and is set to run until Spring 2027 in the Museum’s Global Poster Gallery, over in Covent Garden. Entry to the exhibition is included within standard museum admission. Head to the London Transport Museum website to book tickets and find out more.
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