‘Art for All: British Posters for Transport’ to open at The Wolfsonian-FIU April 15

The Wolfsonian-FIU will unveil on Friday, April 15, ” Art for All: British Posters for Transport,” an exhibition that explores the evolution of transport posters in 20th century Britain and features outstanding examples executed for both the London Underground and the British railways.

Poster, "East Coast: The Adventuress," 1928. Designed by Tom Purvis (British, 1888–1959). Lithograph. Collection of the Yale Center for British Art, Gift of Henry S. Hacker, Yale College, Class of 1965. © National Railway Museum/SSPL.

The exhibition, which will be on view at the museum through Aug. 14, has been organized by the Yale Center for British Art. It features more than 80 masterpieces from the Yale Center for British Art, many of them donated to the Yale Center by Henry S. Hacker, Yale College, Class of 1965. In addition, the installation will include complementary works from the Wolfsonian collection.

“Art for All” traces the changing graphic styles from the second decade of the 20th century through the 1970s and highlights specific features such as the career of Edward McKnight Kauffer, the work of women artists, how the posters were initially displayed and the larger implications of these advertising campaigns.

“The exhibit continues our exploration of the role that graphic design – and design in general – plays in shaping our everyday life experiences,” said Wolfsonian-FIU curator Sarah Schleuning. “The London Underground’s diverse, yet distinct advertising campaign to encourage ridership and promote good will among citizens is considered one of the landmark design programs in modern history.”

In 1908 under the leadership of Frank Pick, the London Underground (later known as the London Transport) began a promotional campaign that became one of the most successful, adventurous and best-sustained branding operations ever attempted. The posters commissioned by Pick engendered good will and encouraged ridership on the public transport system. They also helped to foster a civic identity for the city of London.

A string of major artists, including Kauffer, Frederick Herrick, Hans Schleger and Anna Zinkeisen worked for Pick. From 1923 until the nationalization of the railways in 1948, the “Big Four” followed Pick’s lead in mounting their own poster campaigns. While none of the British rail lines matched the scope and ambition of the Underground campaign, some of the same artists, such as Kauffer and Walter Spradbery, also designed for the mainline railways. Other no less gifted artists, such as Tom Purvis and Frank Newbould, created extraordinary graphics for the railways.

The title of the show, “Art for All,” is taken from an exhibition held at the Victoria and Albert Museum in 1948 (organized by the V&A and London Transport), which featured original works of art, the maquettes for the posters. This exhibition contains the art truly seen by all: the posters themselves.