Power - the nerve centre of London's Underground

This striking poster was commissioned by the Underground Electric Railway Company in 1931. The modern design, by the prolific American artist Edward McKnight Kauffer, underlines the impact electric rail travel was having on urban life in the 1930s. The bold image unites man and machine as the powerful driving forces behind London's Underground. As well as the technological progression of the time, this poster illustrates contemporary developments in art and design. Kauffer's move away from the Underground's Johnston typeface suggests his awareness of typographical styles pioneered by the Bauhaus School in Germany. The geometric design suggests the influence of Futurism and the prevalent Art Deco style.