Curating the new Poster Parade: Tom Eckersley

Danyi and Wenyi worked in the Curatorial department at London Transport Museum for a two-month internship as part of their master’s degree. One of the projects they were involved in is the Poster Parade featuring the work of artist and designer Tom Eckersley, currently on display at the Museum.

Here they share their experience and favourite poster.

For the past eight weeks, I’ve been working as an intern at London Transport Museum. It was a great opportunity for me to put the theory I have acquired in school into practice, and I have learnt much more about Collection Management and Curating. One of the most exciting projects I worked on was curating the Poster Parade. I was given a chance to research the amazing artist, Tom Eckersley. It was fun to choose twenty posters by him for the exhibition. When we got them out from storage I could spot his posters straight away as he has a distinctive style. - Danyi

Among the posters we have chosen for the Poster Parade, my favourite one is ‘By bus to the pictures tonight’. This poster was designed in 1935 when Tom Eckersley and his colleague Eric Lombers were working together. I really like how Eckersley used limited colours to create an eye-catching image. - Danyi

I really enjoyed my placement at the amazing London Transport Museum. This was not only a new experience for me, but more importantly, it allowed me to reflect on the theoretical knowledge of museology that I had learnt at the University of Leicester. I was able to apply this theoretical knowledge to my practical work during the placement. In addition, it was an honour for me to research well-known artists and their poster designs. -Wenyi

My favourite poster from the Poster Parade is ‘Ceremonial London’ from 1976. This is a typical artwork by Tom Eckersley, using his cut-out technique and bold colours. The portrait of a soldier in uniform fits with the theme of celebration, while leaving room for the audience’s imagination. - Wenyi

Find out more about the Poster Parade currently on display at the Museum.