The Art of the Poster - London Transport at War: First World War
During the times of the First and Second World Wars, Frank Pick, Commercial Manager of the Underground Electric Railways Company of London (UERL) and later Chief Executive of London Transport (LT), commissioned a number of graphic artists to create artwork for posters that would appeal to the emotions of the public, enhance morale and provoke thoughts of national pride. Many of these wartime posters, during both world wars, were unashamedly supportive of the war effort and some even had subtle political overtones.
This is the first instalment in a series of blogs where I will focus on posters published by the UERL in the First World War and LT in the Second World War. Here, I shall explore posters from 1916-1918 that convey a strong message of reassurance. Whilst primarily intended for passengers and staff on the network, some of these posters were also created for display in overseas military billets where British troops were stationed. These commissions would also ensure the retention of established graphic artists during wartime.
A Wish, George Clausen, 1917
The title of this poster comes from the verse entitled ‘A Wish’, created by Samuel Rogers and printed below the drawing. The text at the top of the poster reads:
The Underground Railways of London, knowing how many of their passengers are now engaged on important business in France and other parts of the world, send out this reminder of home. Thanks are due to George Clausen R.A. for the drawing.
The drawing depicts an idyllic rural scene ‘back home’ with a subtle message of patriotism to reassure all those men who had answered the call to arms in order to preserve this idyll. This beautiful piece of artwork creates a perfect balance between the two trees framing the view of the peaceful village scene. The village church is the focus of this piece of graphic or even fine art, and the few figures all seem in peaceful harmony with one another.
George Clausen uses subtle shades to add to that feeling of tranquillity. Clausen’s speciality was painting rustic scenes as well as being a decorative artist and engraver. He went on to design posters for London Midland Scottish Railway in the 1920s.
A Wish must have been an inspiration to the soldiers in the centre of the theatres of war during the First World War and undoubtedly would have raised feelings of patriotism, duty and home.
Harvest, J. Walter West, 1916
This massive poster (101.6 x 152.4 cm) never ceases to tantalise thoughts of the effects of warfare. Over the years I have asked the hundreds of visitors to our Art and Poster Store at the Museum Depot, “What’s missing?”. Invariably someone will say, “Men!”
Two years into the First World War, this poster was commissioned and published by the UERL as a means of propaganda. Like A Wish, above, it was intended to ‘awaken thoughts of pleasant homely things’ as it was hung in Army billets near the fighting.
No text is needed as this romantic scene depicts women carrying out the job of harvesting. The image emphasises what men in the forces were fighting for, as well as reassure them that women were playing their part on the home front. To me it seems a truly stirring piece of artwork that has at its centre a team of working horses pulling the harvester and hay wains all under the guidance of a team of women.
J. Walter West was a painter, lithographer and designer. He used charcoals but no colour in The Harvest. He produced a number of posters for the Underground Group between 1916 and 1931. Apart from the strong message exuded by this poster, it can perhaps be considered as a bit of a ‘retainer’ from Frank Pick.
This blog would not be complete without the inclusion of this delightful quartet of posters by Fred Taylor and Emilio Camilio Leopoldo Tafani. All four were produced in 1918 and commissioned by Frank Pick.
These two posters didn’t find their way onto the Underground network. They are very pointedly aimed at awakening thoughts of home amongst the troops and a reassurance that Kew Gardens and Hampstead Heath will still be there to explore at the end of hostilities. The use of predominantly subdued shades of green with a limited smattering of pink blossom and yellow daffodils has a gentleness to it, which contrasted with the carnage experienced by fighting troops overseas.
Fred Taylor was a prolific poster designer for the Underground Group and London Transport, producing 62 posters and 31 panel posters between 1908 and 1946. His distinctive style earned him numerous commissions from, amongst others, the London North Eastern Railways, the Empire Marketing Board and various shipping companies to promote travel abroad. Taylor was also an official camouflage artist during the Second World War.
These two posters, together with the two Fred Taylor posters above, complete the set of four entitled London Memories from 1918. Tafani’s Wimbledon Common and Denham were also intended to be displayed in British military billets close to the battlefront towards the end of the First World War to remind the troops of home.
There is some contrast between the works of the two artists and their use of colour with Tafani creating slightly brighter views of two well-known areas. The Denham poster depicts the typical back-to-back terraced house so familiar to so many of those on the battlefront. An altogether peaceful and rural vista with no hint of how Denham would rapidly develop from 1936 onwards with the opening of Denham Studios. And all four posters come with the compliments of the Underground Group.
Tafani, a chromolithographer with his own studio, lived in London and produced over 20 posters for the Underground Group between 1915 and 1920. Each of his commissions centre on popular sites around the periphery of London, all being accessible by using one or more modes of transport operated by the UERL.
Look out for the next instalment in this blog series, which will focus on London Transport posters from the Second World War, and explore the Museum’s world-class poster and artwork collection at our upcoming Depot Open Days: The Art of the Poster.
