Designed for London

More about the book

The Underground map, bright red buses, the bull's-eye symbol on station signs - for almost a century, features such as these have given the transport system in London an unmistakable identity. During the 1920s and 1930s, London Transport, and its predecessor the Underground Group, developed a co-ordinated design policy which encompassed not only vehicles but also architecture, posters, signage and typography. London's buses and Underground were among the most sophisticated in the world; stations, notably those designed by Charles Holden, provided some of the best examples of modern architecture in Britain, and the most exciting avant-garde designers were commissioned to publicize the transport system through posters, turning tube stations into art galleries. This book tells the story of London Transport design, from the innovations of Frank Pick to present-day vehicles, station modernization and publicity. It is illustrated with material from the London Transport Museum's archives and the photographs were specially commissioned by London Transport. Jeremy Rewse-Davies is Design Director for London Transport; Oliver Green is also the author of "Underground Art".