No wet no cold

This poster was commissioned by the Underground Electric Railway Company in 1921. Frederick Schneider Manner's striking image depicts three large grey umbrellas with cog-like forms and a metallic finish. Solid and impenetrable, the umbrellas head for the Underground, repelling the sheets of rain and refracting the shafts of light that slice through the composition. The sleek style and mechanical forms suggest the influence of the prevalent Art Deco style. The umbrella was a popular motif in London Underground posters, particularly in the 1920s. With its characteristic shape and pleasing symmetry it lent itself perfectly to the bold geometric style of the time. As it shelters the masses from the bleak British weather, the umbrella also presented an apt metaphor for the Underground.