How To Make A Poster

Since the early twentieth century, the Underground and later London Transport (LT) and Transport for London (TfL) have commissioned posters displayed across the city’s vast public transport system. These encouraged people to use it to get around and explore what London has to offer. Yet there was more to it than just selling tickets and getting bums on seats. London’s public transport posters quickly developed a reputation for high quality design, becoming part of the artistic identity of the world’s most famous public transport system.

Richly illustrated with over 300 images from London Transport Museum’s collections, this book explores why and how these posters were created, produced and displayed. It highlights the work of influential poster artists – including Edward McKnight Kauffer, Dora Batty, Abram Games and Tom Eckersley – as well as less well known designers. It also illustrates the huge variety of artistic techniques used to create the posters, from painting to three dimensional collage.