CHRISTMAS ON THE LONDON UNDERGROUND
Poster for Underground Electric Railway Company, designer unknown, 1932. Image courtesy of London Transport Museum.
When you think of Christmas, your first festive thought might not be the London Underground. But since the early 20th century, the tunnels under the capital have exhibited many charming and inventive posters aimed at throngs of Christmas shoppers. The 1920s and 30s were something of a Golden Age in poster design, and by commissioning leading artists to illustrate their posters, London Transport positioned itself as a leading patron of the arts.
One man in particular saw the potential for graphic posters to enhance the mundane experience of riding the tube. His name was Frank Pick - widely thought of as the man behind London Transport’s visual identity that we know so well today. Pick was hired in 1908 to oversee the Underground’s publicity, which up to that point had been mostly text based and lacking imagination. He understood that the Underground was not only a practical means of getting from Archway to Brixton, but a vital cornerstone of London life, one that could be enriched by good design and attention to detail.
Christmas poster by Margaret Calkin James, 1931. Image courtesy of London Transport Museum.
Poster by Edward McKnight Kauffer, 1923, printed by Waterlow & Sons Ltd. Image courtesy of London Transport Museum.
Interested in Modernism and the avant-garde art movements sweeping Europe at the time, Pick was adventurous in his commissioning. He hired established poster designers like Austin Cooper and Walter Spradbery, as well as eminent fine artists including Paul Nash, Man Ray and Laura Knight. He was also not afraid to gamble on emerging new talent when he spotted it. The brilliant graphic designer Edward McKnight Kauffer got his start in commercial art thanks to Pick recognising his fledgling potential; Kauffer went on to become one of the most celebrated poster designers of the 20th century.
Before we all started shopping online, the frenzy of festive shopping in Central London made Christmas the busiest time of year on the Underground. In an attempt to prevent the system from becoming overwhelmed with crowds, many posters implored passengers to ‘shop early’ and ‘between the hours of 10 & 4’ in the lead up. Others simply wished their customers a Merry Christmas.
Two Christmas posters by Rosemary and Clifford Ellis, 1935. Images courtesy of London Transport Museum.
Although the posters’ primary aim was to convey instruction, much of the imagery employed in the 1920s and 30s was surprisingly avant-garde and sometimes surreal. One example being a range of Christmas posters illustrated by design duo Rosemary and Clifford Ellis in 1935 (above). Rendered in their signature painterly style and earthy colours, the posters depict a semi-abstract cacophony of objects and pattern. The effect suggests a tube train crammed with frazzled shoppers, whilst the text urged Londoners to shop early.
Another design twosome, Tom Eckersley and Eric Lombers, illustrated a pair of Christmas posters for London Transport in 1936 using their recognisable stencil and airbrush technique (below). The images, depicting a young boy and girl in dusty blue, are almost haunting in their spareness - a Christmas stocking in hand the only hint of festivity. Such obscure imagery might have been dismissed by a more rationally-minded design director, but Pick knew that the artwork needn’t be conventional or watered down to portray its message; as long as it was evocative and memorable.
Christmas posters by Tom Eckersley and Eric Lombers, printed by Waterlow & Sons Ltd. 1936. Images courtesy of London Transport Museum.
Eckersley and Lombers, 1937. Image courtesy of London Transport Museum.
By the mid-1920s it was quite the honour to be asked to design posters for London Transport, aligned as it was with Modernism. It also exposed one’s art to millions of fresh eyes across the capital and its suburbs, especially at Christmas. I love the thought of stepping back in time to 1930s London - ducking out of the December cold into a glossy-tiled station, feeling the warm air rush up from the tunnels and catching sight of a perfectly printed poster by one the 20th century’s finest designers.
Poster by Dora batty, 1925. Image courtesy of London Transport Museum.
Published by the Metropolitan Railway, designer unknown, 1933. Image courtesy of the London Transport Museum.
Special thanks to the London Transport Museum for these wonderful images from their collections