Reimagining historic posters

Highlighting the advantages of travelling and shopping by bus, this poster  makes London seem smaller and very accessible. In a single loop, it captures a family enjoying a successful shopping trip on route 65. Only the traffic warden, deprived of parking tickets, appears unhappy.  

Here, one of London’s famous red buses encircles the Capital’s famous landmarks. The poster visually reinforced how easy it was to see all the sights on a London Transport sightseeing tour.    

A unique model made of plasticine was created for this poster by illustrators and model makers Ray Campbell and Robin Boutell. The theme of London’s landmarks encompassed by public transport has become a popular way of representing London’s transport services.   

This 1920s poster was one of a series produced by Herrick. Each poster used a different sense – sight, taste, smell, touch and hearing - to illustrate the different ways London could be experienced. Here, the theatre binoculars accentuate the sense of seeing by suggesting that London is a stage.    

This more contemporary design mixes ideas about seeing and hearing. In the early days of portable music, it addressed Tube etiquette by using a cassette tape to represent eyes. Passengers were reminded about being aware of their surroundings when listening to music on public transport.     

Graphic designer, Victor Galbraith, uses an eye-catching design against a black background to promote night time travel. The familiar London pigeon is portrayed holding a bunch of balloons, which remind us of all the exciting activities the city provides as evening entertainment.    

Here Stevens uses a child’s favourite toy to recall the fun of sightseeing and  promote some of London’s most popular sites. The dark background helps to highlight the bright colours of the windmill.    

This poster promotes Kenwood House, on the edge of Hampstead Heath in north London. Trees frame the image and invite the viewer to explore the former stately home, which boasts neo-classical architecture and Rembrandt’s self-portrait amongst other features.   

Here, Kenwood House is presented as a refuge from the busy city. The strong greens and blues and the sense of calm space behind provide an inviting contrast with the noise and bustle of central London. Even more so than in the 1930s.     

In this early 1930s design, Marty uses a relaxing picnic scene to promote countryside escapes. The poster is accompanied by an extract from William Blake's poem, 'The birds'.   

This poster depicts a party scene and promotes the use of the Underground after dark. Here Taylor experiments with flat colour to illustrate the vibrancy of 1920s London. The posters provided a splash of colour in a city still largely drab and grey after the First World War.   

Inspired by screen-printing techniques, Morland’s restaurant scene encourages eating out and the use of public transport in London. This poster is part of the 2016 ‘Brightest London’ poster collection, which echoes and expands on the social scenes and colour of Taylor’s iconic 1920s images.