Revisit our hugely popular Poster Art 150 exhibition. Featuring 150 of the greatest designs from our collection of more than 3,000 posters, this exhibition showcased London Underground's unrivalled reputation for commissioning memorable and stunning posters by leading artists and designers.
London Underground's Greatest Designs
London Underground has a long tradition of commissioning memorable advertising posters. This exhibition, which was first on display in the Exterion Media gallery at London Transport Museum in 2013, features 150 of the best designs as chosen by a team of experts from a variety of backgrounds. We hope you enjoy revisiting this stunning exhibition as you browse this unique collection of 20th century graphic poster art. With thanks to Siemens for their generous sponsorship and support.
Brightest London is best reached by Underground (1924) by Horace TaylorLondon Transport Museum
How to browse this exhibition
This exhibition of 150 posters is broken down into six sections:
• Finding your way: posters to help passengers navigate the maze of the Underground.
• Brightest London: posters showcasing what London has to offer: shopping, sports, theatres, cinemas and more!
• Capital Culture: posters promoting Tube travel to London's cultural gems - museums, gardens, zoos, displays and shows.
• Away from it all: posters reminding Londoners of the green spaces, countryside and idyllic settings just a train journey away.
• Keeps London going: posters presenting visions of speed, strength and reliability of the Underground.
• Love your city: posters celebrating the soul of London, depicting an ever-changing city that simultaneously takes pride in its heritage.
You can either browse the whole exhibition by scrolling or using your keyboard or skip to a section by using the bar along the bottom. Each section is signposted with a bookmark!
Finding your way
Posters offer a powerful way to inform and instruct on way-finding and etiquette. Well-designed maps and diagrams simplify the daunting maze of lines and tunnels, enabling passengers to confidently navigate underground. Subtle humour creates commanding yet entertaining posters, promoting safe and cooperative behaviour.
Brightest London is best reached by Underground (1924) by Horace TaylorLondon Transport Museum
The Siemens Poster Vote
Visitors to the exhibition voted for their favourite poster in the gallery. This stunning design by Horace Taylor in 1924 was named as the winner.
Brightest London
These posters look beyond the daily commute to capture the glamour, excitement and sense of opportunity within this dynamic city. By day, leisure activities from sports to shopping are accessible via the Underground. By night, passengers are enticed to central London's cinemas and theatres. The Underground and its customers are portrayed as contemporary and 'in the know'. The city becomes bigger and brighter and today more people than ever discover London by Tube.
Capital culture
Let the Underground bring the world to you! Before the rise of global media, the museums and the great exhibition halls showcased the world in one city. These posters promote Tube travel to London's cultural gems. Art shows and air displays sit alongside London Zoo and places of history and grandeur. Powerful imagery and bold colours paint London as a place to inspire both awe and enjoyment. Your Travelcard is your passport to wonders of the world, made easily accessible by Underground.
Away from it all
Freedom is closer than you think. Romantic, colourful and optimistic, these posters remind Londoners how easy it is to get away from urban grime into London’s green spaces and nearby countryside. Idyllic settings are just a train journey away. The drive to boost off-peak ticket sales inspired the promotion of the Underground as a means of escape as well as a way of getting from A to B, offering the best of both worlds.
Keeps London going
These posters present visions of speed, strength and reliability. The image of the Underground is reinforced as a dynamic and popular service. The Underground’s strong visual identity and powerful branding is largely a result of the culture of good design and ‘fitness for purpose’ established by Frank Pick and it continues today through the Tube Upgrade Plan.
Love your city
Underground posters depict London in all its colour, culture and diversity. People, places, events and landmarks new and old are presented in dramatic fashion. They depict an ever-changing city that also takes pride in its history and heritage. From maps with a medieval influence to visions of the future, the posters adopt different techniques to celebrate the soul of the city.
With thanks to Siemens for their generous sponsorship and support for the Poster Art 150 exhibition.
Our expert panel:
Brian Webb – Designer and Visiting Professor at the University of the Arts, London
Catherine Flood – Prints Curator at the Victoria and Albert Museum
Paul Rennie – Senior Academic at Central Saint Martin’s College of Art and Design
Nicolette Tomkinson – Christie’s Director and Head of the Vintage Poster department
Tamsin Dillon – Head of Art on the Underground
Simon Patterson – Artist, creator of the ‘Great Bear’ artwork
Oliver Green – Research Fellow and former Head Curator at London Transport Museum
Michael Walton – Head of Trading at London Transport Museum and poster commissioner
Also with thanks to the Museum’s Young Advisors: Gloria Gaspard, Izara de Nobrega, Elvis Miranda and Aobakwe Mokgalagadi for their help with curating the exhibition.
