The posters were the brainchild of Frank Pick, a "benevolent style dictator", responsible for establishing the corporate identity still used by London Underground today. Over 200 of them are reproduced here in colour, embracing a diversity of styles including Cubism, Modernism, Vorticism and Futurism, and inviting us to all corners of the metropolis and its surrounds, but most commonly London Zoo (which of course is nowhere near a tube). Well-known artists such as Man Ray and Graham Sutherland contributed designs, as did a to-be-well-known spy novelist Len Deighton, but the stars were artists such as Edward McKnight Kauffer, whose work over many years showed an unsurpassed understanding of the medium. The most recognisable design, though, was Henry C. Beck's diagrammatic map of the tube network, introduced in 1933 and still iconically ubiquitous today. It is a pity Green does not reproduce it to a greater scale (likewise its interesting geographically faithful antecedent), but that is not enough to detract from what is a highly pleasurable travelcard-of- a-trip down memory lane, and a valuable piece of social history.--David Vincent --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Synopsis
Since 1908, with the appointment of the enlightened Frank Pick as publicity officer, London Transport has been a major patron of art in Britain, commissioning posters and other artworks from such notable artists as Edward McKnight Kauffer, Paul Nash, Graham Sutherland, Man Ray and others. These posters did not merely promote travel by tube, but also encouraged people to go to plays and concerts, visit the zoo or the countryside, or move to Metroland. The resulting art collection is one of stunning diversity, comprising over 3000 original posters. The distinguished tradition of art patronage has been vigorously continued since the early years, particularly in recent times, with new works being commissioned from David Hockney among others. This second edition brings the story right up to date with an additional chapter covering the years 1989-2000, as well as an updated introduction and biographies of the artists.