Alongside the design of the stations, London Underground’s posters heritage is justly world-famous.
While it’s possible for the very rich to buy originals, the London Transport Museum also sells prints at very much more affordable rates.
As a special ianVisits readers offer, if you buy a poster or print from the London Transport Museum between 12th Aug and 24th Aug, you can have a 20% discount off the price.
The heritage of the posters goes back, as so much does, to the legendary Frank Pick who not only wanted to clean up the stations which were flooded with ugly adverts, but to create a cohesive brand for the newly merged London Transport services.
It is cooler below, by Frederick Charles Herrick, 1926
Where it is warm and bright, by Verney L Danvers, 1924
The transport network was still trying to encourage people to use the trains, especially off-peak. So they commissioned some of the most famous artists of the time to produce posters that were both commercial, in that they sold the service, but also an aesthetic improvement in the stations.
Some of the poster designs are now in themselves classics.
Fly the Tube, by Brian Watson & Peter Hobden, 1979
For the Zoo book to Regent’s Park, by Charles Paine, 1921
In the 1980s a teenager might have had that Athena print on their walls, but today such is the recognition of the artistic heritage, a teenager is just as likely to have a London Underground poster on their walls.
As a special ianVisits readers offer, if you buy a poster or print from the London Transport Museum between 12th Aug and 24th Aug, you can have a 20% discount off the price.
After choosing a poster, use the voucher code “ianvisits20” when ordering.
The offer excludes Art on the Underground and print to order posters.
London Transport, by Man Ray, 1938
Tate Gallery By Tube, by David Booth, 1986
Also, if you want to get up close to the originals, there are semi-regular tours of the poster archive, which is housed in Acton. Details here.
Hi, how do I get the 20% discount on London Underground posters?
Just read the article
The code is only applying 7.5% discount.
£3 off a £39.99 order of 2 posters. I assume the discount is only being applied to my first order which was a £15 poster.