The Flickr Tomeckersley Image Generatr

The Concorde graphics were still there in 2008...

Heathrow Central when newly opened in 1977. Concorde had entered service the year before hence the Concorde graphic by Tom Eckersley.

In May 1969 London Transport published this small folder, printed in full colour and priced at 1/- (one shilling = 5p) showing the twelve tile motifs on the first section of the Victoria line of the Lonodn Underground. This had opened in sections from Walthamstow Central to Victoria between September 1968 and March 1969. As the tube diagram reproduced in this folder shows the extension south to Brixton, and that completed the line, was under construction and opened in 1971/72. The motifs on this latter group of stations are not shown here.

The construction of the first new tube line to serve the central area of the network in sixty years had been a long time in coming; planning, approval and construction itself had taken from the mid-1940s until the mid-1960s. In engineering terms the new line largely followed the established pattern of London's existing deep-tube lines and stations - albeit with some advances in terms of tunnelling and, especially, operation. The stations were designed by the Design Research Unit under Misha Black. The DRU were amongst the most important industrial designers in post-war Britain. The design intention was very plain; at platform level the use of a muted palette of stainless steel with 6" x 6" ceramic tiles in various shades of grey. The roundels were on glass panels, back illuminated. The train exteriors were the now standard Underground plain aluminium bodies and the interiors were also muted with only the seating moquette standing out. The intention behind this cool, uncluttered look was that colour was added by passengers and advertising.

However to distinguish each individual station and to add some sense of colour architecture behind each seating unit is a tiled panel; each was specifically designed for the station and often includes a pun or play on the origin of the name. The designers of these were important artists and designers in their own name and included Julia Black, Hans Unger, Edward Bawden, Tom Eckersley and Crosby/Fletcher/Forbes. Sveral of these artists and designers had produced publicity items for London Transport such as posters.

The panels are still in position although over time some slight amendments have been made notably in the PPP upgrade programme in the early 2000s. Two designs had been replaced; those at Oxford Circus and Green Park and we (I worked for LU's design team at the time) took the opportunity to reinstate the original designs seen here. At the former only the southbound platform has the tiled recesses as the northbound platform, badly damaged by fire many years ago, no longer has recesses. We also put a large version in the main ticket hall but when I recently went through I see some cretin has placed an a/c unit over it. The designs and panels, along with other elements of the DRU design are 'protected' under LU's own Design Policy for the line although this has allowed for the change to some of the field colours of tiles to better give colour contrast as now required under modern design codes.

In May 1969 London Transport published this small folder, printed in full colour and priced at 1/- (one shilling = 5p) showing the twelve tile motifs on the first section of the Victoria line of the Lonodn Underground. This had opened in sections from Walthamstow Central to Victoria between September 1968 and March 1969. As the tube diagram reproduced in this folder shows the extension south to Brixton, and that completed the line, was under construction and opened in 1971/72. The motifs on this latter group of stations are not shown here.

The construction of the first new tube line to serve the central area of the network in sixty years had been a long time in coming; planning, approval and construction itself had taken from the mid-1940s until the mid-1960s. In engineering terms the new line largely followed the established pattern of London's existing deep-tube lines and stations - albeit with some advances in terms of tunnelling and, especially, operation. The stations were designed by the Design Research Unit under Misha Black. The DRU were amongst the most important industrial designers in post-war Britain. The design intention was very plain; at platform level the use of a muted palette of stainless steel with 6" x 6" ceramic tiles in various shades of grey. The roundels were on glass panels, back illuminated. The train exteriors were the now standard Underground plain aluminium bodies and the interiors were also muted with only the seating moquette standing out. The intention behind this cool, uncluttered look was that colour was added by passengers and advertising.

However to distinguish each individual station and to add some sense of colour architecture behind each seating unit is a tiled panel; each was specifically designed for the station and often includes a pun or play on the origin of the name. The designers of these were important artists and designers in their own name and included Julia Black, Hans Unger, Edward Bawden, Tom Eckersley and Crosby/Fletcher/Forbes. Sveral of these artists and designers had produced publicity items for London Transport such as posters.

The panels are still in position although over time some slight amendments have been made notably in the PPP upgrade programme in the early 2000s. Two designs had been replaced; those at Oxford Circus and Green Park and we (I worked for LU's design team at the time) took the opportunity to reinstate the original designs seen here. At the former only the southbound platform has the tiled recesses as the northbound platform, badly damaged by fire many years ago, no longer has recesses. We also put a large version in the main ticket hall but when I recently went through I see some cretin has placed an a/c unit over it. The designs and panels, along with other elements of the DRU design are 'protected' under LU's own Design Policy for the line although this has allowed for the change to some of the field colours of tiles to better give colour contrast as now required under modern design codes.

The diagram shows the extension to Brixton, with additional stations at Pimlico, Vauxhall and Stockwell, that was under construction.

In May 1969 London Transport published this small folder, printed in full colour and priced at 1/- (one shilling = 5p) showing the twelve tile motifs on the first section of the Victoria line of the Lonodn Underground. This had opened in sections from Walthamstow Central to Victoria between September 1968 and March 1969. As the tube diagram reproduced in this folder shows the extension south to Brixton, and that completed the line, was under construction and opened in 1971/72. The motifs on this latter group of stations are not shown here.

The construction of the first new tube line to serve the central area of the network in sixty years had been a long time in coming; planning, approval and construction itself had taken from the mid-1940s until the mid-1960s. In engineering terms the new line largely followed the established pattern of London's existing deep-tube lines and stations - albeit with some advances in terms of tunnelling and, especially, operation. The stations were designed by the Design Research Unit under Misha Black. The DRU were amongst the most important industrial designers in post-war Britain. The design intention was very plain; at platform level the use of a muted palette of stainless steel with 6" x 6" ceramic tiles in various shades of grey. The roundels were on glass panels, back illuminated. The train exteriors were the now standard Underground plain aluminium bodies and the interiors were also muted with only the seating moquette standing out. The intention behind this cool, uncluttered look was that colour was added by passengers and advertising.

However to distinguish each individual station and to add some sense of colour architecture behind each seating unit is a tiled panel; each was specifically designed for the station and often includes a pun or play on the origin of the name. The designers of these were important artists and designers in their own name and included Julia Black, Hans Unger, Edward Bawden, Tom Eckersley and Crosby/Fletcher/Forbes. Sveral of these artists and designers had produced publicity items for London Transport such as posters.

The panels are still in position although over time some slight amendments have been made notably in the PPP upgrade programme in the early 2000s. Two designs had been replaced; those at Oxford Circus and Green Park and we (I worked for LU's design team at the time) took the opportunity to reinstate the original designs seen here. At the former only the southbound platform has the tiled recesses as the northbound platform, badly damaged by fire many years ago, no longer has recesses. We also put a large version in the main ticket hall but when I recently went through I see some cretin has placed an a/c unit over it. The designs and panels, along with other elements of the DRU design are 'protected' under LU's own Design Policy for the line although this has allowed for the change to some of the field colours of tiles to better give colour contrast as now required under modern design codes.

The first panel gives a useful rundown on the construction and design of the new line.

In May 1969 London Transport published this small folder, printed in full colour and priced at 1/- (one shilling = 5p) showing the twelve tile motifs on the first section of the Victoria line of the Lonodn Underground. This had opened in sections from Walthamstow Central to Victoria between September 1968 and March 1969. As the tube diagram reproduced in this folder shows the extension south to Brixton, and that completed the line, was under construction and opened in 1971/72. The motifs on this latter group of stations are not shown here.

The construction of the first new tube line to serve the central area of the network in sixty years had been a long time in coming; planning, approval and construction itself had taken from the mid-1940s until the mid-1960s. In engineering terms the new line largely followed the established pattern of London's existing deep-tube lines and stations - albeit with some advances in terms of tunnelling and, especially, operation. The stations were designed by the Design Research Unit under Misha Black. The DRU were amongst the most important industrial designers in post-war Britain. The design intention was very plain; at platform level the use of a muted palette of stainless steel with 6" x 6" ceramic tiles in various shades of grey. The roundels were on glass panels, back illuminated. The train exteriors were the now standard Underground plain aluminium bodies and the interiors were also muted with only the seating moquette standing out. The intention behind this cool, uncluttered look was that colour was added by passengers and advertising.

However to distinguish each individual station and to add some sense of colour architecture behind each seating unit is a tiled panel; each was specifically designed for the station and often includes a pun or play on the origin of the name. The designers of these were important artists and designers in their own name and included Julia Black, Hans Unger, Edward Bawden, Tom Eckersley and Crosby/Fletcher/Forbes. Sveral of these artists and designers had produced publicity items for London Transport such as posters.

The panels are still in position although over time some slight amendments have been made notably in the PPP upgrade programme in the early 2000s. Two designs had been replaced; those at Oxford Circus and Green Park and we (I worked for LU's design team at the time) took the opportunity to reinstate the original designs seen here. At the former only the southbound platform has the tiled recesses as the northbound platform, badly damaged by fire many years ago, no longer has recesses. We also put a large version in the main ticket hall but when I recently went through I see some cretin has placed an a/c unit over it. The designs and panels, along with other elements of the DRU design are 'protected' under LU's own Design Policy for the line although this has allowed for the change to some of the field colours of tiles to better give colour contrast as now required under modern design codes.

In May 1969 London Transport published this small folder, printed in full colour and priced at 1/- (one shilling = 5p) showing the twelve tile motifs on the first section of the Victoria line of the Lonodn Underground. This had opened in sections from Walthamstow Central to Victoria between September 1968 and March 1969. As the tube diagram reproduced in this folder shows the extension south to Brixton, and that completed the line, was under construction and opened in 1971/72. The motifs on this latter group of stations are not shown here.

The construction of the first new tube line to serve the central area of the network in sixty years had been a long time in coming; planning, approval and construction itself had taken from the mid-1940s until the mid-1960s. In engineering terms the new line largely followed the established pattern of London's existing deep-tube lines and stations - albeit with some advances in terms of tunnelling and, especially, operation. The stations were designed by the Design Research Unit under Misha Black. The DRU were amongst the most important industrial designers in post-war Britain. The design intention was very plain; at platform level the use of a muted palette of stainless steel with 6" x 6" ceramic tiles in various shades of grey. The roundels were on glass panels, back illuminated. The train exteriors were the now standard Underground plain aluminium bodies and the interiors were also muted with only the seating moquette standing out. The intention behind this cool, uncluttered look was that colour was added by passengers and advertising.

However to distinguish each individual station and to add some sense of colour architecture behind each seating unit is a tiled panel; each was specifically designed for the station and often includes a pun or play on the origin of the name. The designers of these were important artists and designers in their own name and included Julia Black, Hans Unger, Edward Bawden, Tom Eckersley and Crosby/Fletcher/Forbes. Sveral of these artists and designers had produced publicity items for London Transport such as posters.

The panels are still in position although over time some slight amendments have been made notably in the PPP upgrade programme in the early 2000s. Two designs had been replaced; those at Oxford Circus and Green Park and we (I worked for LU's design team at the time) took the opportunity to reinstate the original designs seen here. At the former only the southbound platform has the tiled recesses as the northbound platform, badly damaged by fire many years ago, no longer has recesses. We also put a large version in the main ticket hall but when I recently went through I see some cretin has placed an a/c unit over it. The designs and panels, along with other elements of the DRU design are 'protected' under LU's own Design Policy for the line although this has allowed for the change to some of the field colours of tiles to better give colour contrast as now required under modern design codes.

The cover includes the rather smart Victoria line version of the roundel that was used in publicity for the new line.

One of the best, and most lavish, books produced by the London Transport Board was this; the beautifully illustrated book for the opening of the Victoria line of London Underground that was issued in March 1969 to commemorate the formal Royal opening that took place on 7 March 1969 when the line had been completed to its then terminus at Victoria. The line had opened in stages from Walthamstow to Highbury & Islington on 1 September 1968 and thence to Warren Street on 1 December 1968. The line had its origins in post-war planning for London's railways and, after many delays, construction began in earnest in September 1962. The extension to Brixton came into use in 1971.

The line required significant engineering both in terms of new work and alterations and adaptations of existing works such as at Finsbury Park and Highbury and Islington. A new fleet of trains, the 1967-tube stock, was constructed in Birmingham by Metro-Cammell and a new depot built on the surface at Northumberland Park, Tottenham. In terms of operation a world-class 'automatic' signalling and operating system was developed by London Transport and this idea for automation extended to ticketing and gateline. In terms of architecture there was little to see above ground and the station platforms were deliberately designed to be a relatively neutal background with passengers and advertising providing the 'colour'; this muted look was enlivened by inset tiled panels in seat recesses, each commissioned from a noted artist and based on a play on the station name.

All these facts, and more, appear in the book that was designed by William Fenton ARCA and printed by W. S. Cowell in Ipswich. You do not often see this book - at 30/- (Thirty Shillings or One Pound and 10 shillings) I suspect not many were sold.


"A touch of interest and humanity to the rather severe efficiency of the platform". Here we see three more of the ceramic tile panels; Warren Street - a maze, designed by Crosby/Fletcher/Forbes: Finsbury Park, once a rendezvous for duelling, by Tom Eckersley and his work for King's Cross - St. Pancras using crowns and a cross pattern formation.

A rather jolly advert or poster design for the Electrical Development Association that appeared in the handbook to the 1960 Food Fair at London's Olympia. The EDA had been formed in the 1920s to act as an agency to promote the use of electricity by the then numerous players in the industry; it continued after nationalisation but, following the 1957 reorganisation of the industry, it was finally subsumed into the Electricity Council in 1966 to become their Marketing Department.

The cheery and warm child, with a fresh piece of cake, is by noted poster designer, artist and teacher Tom Eckersley (1914 - 1997).

Art & Industry was the long lived magazine of graphic design, advertising, typography and allied subjects that ran through the decades of the mid-Twentieth Century. This issue, from March 1951, shows a cover designed by Tom Eckersley (1914 - 1997). Lancashire born Eckersley, a designer, artist and teacher, studied at the Salford Art School and for many years worked in partnership with Eric Lombers (1914–1978).

A 1959 brochure issued by British Railways giving details of the various 'holiday runabout tickets" available across the various Regions. These tickets allowed unlimited travel around specific areas and on specified lines on a weekly basis and were useful if you wanted to travel around during holidays or make a series of day trips from a single station.

The cover, with a bold compass point comprised of four seated figures, is by Tom Eckersley, the accomplished graphic designer and artist.

London Transport has always relied heavily on income from commercial advertising revenues - monies made by selling advertising space on vehicles, stations and structures. In the 1930s the Commercial Advertising Department were themselves prolific advertisers in relevant trade journals (here in Art & Industry) and issued much publicity themselves. As in keeping with the company's strong ethos of 'fitness for purpose' even humble press adverts have a real sense of style about them as seen here.

Advertising escalator panel spaces this advert, both graphic and text, plays cleverly on 'steps' - steps on the escalator and the advertiser's next steps. It is thoughtfully set out, typographically, and the graphic captures escalators, passengers looking and a "step'. It is by "Eckersley-Lombers", the pre-war partnership of designers and artists Tom Eckersley and Eric Lombers who also produced many posters and panel/car posters for LT as well.

The last line is very fine : The LT roundel symbol and "You can't get away from it"!

For many years Gillette had used the phrase "good mornings start with" and several campaigns based on this strap line had been developed in post-WW2 years. This 1951 incarnation, from agency W S Crawford, used the tag along with artwork by famed poster artist and designer Tom Eckersley. The premise was two faces facing each other, one shaven the other not, and this one uses two poodles with the blue tones picking up on the colour of the branded "Gillette Blue blades".

Wholly in the then astonishing quality of London Transport's design and corporate identity thsi small card folder was issued in 1938, one of a large series, to advertise advertising. The income from commercial advertising on the LPTB's vehicles and buildings was considerable and the Board went to considerable lengths to 'drum up trade'. As a quality estate they obviously felt they had to step up to the mark.

This folder, very much at the forefront of British graphic design and use of typography, is by the design partnership of Tom Eckersley and George Lombers who worked together from 1934 until 1946 after which time they both went their separate ways, Lombers back north to Bradford to teach and Eckersley to become known as one of the best mid-20th century graphic designers. The brochure has a 'light bulb' moment to illustrate the visibility of Underground car advertising and the captive audience per day.

Wholly in the then astonishing quality of London Transport's design and corporate identity thsi small card folder was issued in 1938, one of a large series, to advertise advertising. The income from commercial advertising on the LPTB's vehicles and buildings was considerable and the Board went to considerable lengths to 'drum up trade'. As a quality estate they obviously felt they had to step up to the mark.

This folder, very much at the forefront of British graphic design and use of typography, is by the design partnership of Tom Eckersley and George Lombers who worked together from 1934 until 1946 after which time they both went their separate ways, Lombers back north to Bradford to teach and Eckersley to become known as one of the best mid-20th century graphic designers. The brochure has a 'light bulb' moment to illustrate the visibility of Underground car advertising and the captive audience per day.

Nineteenth-Century Studies by Basil Willey
Peregrine first edition published in 1964
Cover design by Tom Eckersley

You tend to forget just what a large scale advertiser the GPO was, covering postal and telecommunications, the state owned business employed some of the finest talent in the world of graphic design and commercial art for their publicity. This 1953 poster, issued in Coronation Year, uses one of the then familiar 'royal' and 'military' themes to emphasis the 'security' of state backing for the Post Office Bank. For many people a 'commercial' bank account with the attendent fees was not desirable and so the Post Office and National Savings network, using Post Offices as branches to transact basic banking was the best way to save. My National Savings account was opened for me the day after I was born!
Like me, Lancashire born, Eckersley (1914 - 1997) was one of the foremost design practitioners and teachers during the 20th century. In the 1930s he worked jointly with Eric Lombers but the partnership did not survive the outbreak of war.

Tom Eckersley (1914 - 1997) was one of the foremost design practitioners and teachers during the 20th century. In the 1930s he worked jointly with Eric Lombers but the partnership did not survive the outbreak of war. This cover is from a booklet issued by the GPO, then responsible for telecomminications as well as the mail, and was to celebrate the centenary of the birth of Alexander Graham Bell in Edinburgh, the man regarded as the 'father' of the telephone - although there was at the time, in 1876, and still, there is some debate as to the role played by Elisha Grey. Bell was at work in the US at the time of his work and he and his family went on to found that doyen of telephone companies, Bell, later to become AT&T. In the UK the telephone network was consolidated into the ownership of the Post Office who by 1911 had a virtual monopoly of the network - the last municipal systems to hold out being Portsmouth (that transferred in 1913) and Hull that continued to operate its "Telephone Department" until the age of privatisation. Anyhow, the booklet cover shows a profile of the bearded Bell with a contemporary handset and the inventor's first machine.

Two examples of the many posters issued by the UK General Post Office, then the organisation in charge of the country's post and telecommunications services and before the division into the 'Post Office' and 'Royal Mail'. The GPO were major commissioners of such works and so many of the UK's most famous graphic designers and artists names appear in the output of the organisation. There are two such names here; Tom Eckersley and Hans Ungers.

Lancashire born Eckersley (1914 - 1997) was one of the foremost design practitioners and teachers during the 20th century. In the 1930s he worked jointly with Eric Lombers but the partnership did not survive the outbreak of war. The poster here shows the sad inevitability of incorrectly packaged parcels.

Hans Unger (1915 - 1975) was a German born artist and designer who, as part of the diaspora of German Jews in the 1930s, fled his homeland and settled in South Africa. During service with the armed forces in North Africa he was captured by Italian forces but escaped. He came to the UK in 1948 and in the following decades he produced not just posters for companies such as the GPO and London Transport, but also designed book covers as well as becoming well known for mosaic and stained glass windows. His poster here cleverly shows a grumpy postmark, or postal frank, the face pulled by the foreign recipient of a letter you haven't applied the correct postage to!

Print
Designed by Tom Eckersley (OBS) and Eric Lombers
1936

In the 1930s, people became concerned about the polluting impact of motoring on the countryside. Shell commissioned well-known artists to create a poster campaign to promote good will towards the company and it products. 80 years later, fossil fuels are stil a major target of environmental campaigns, and similar tactics of public persuasion are employed by companies today.
[V&A]

Taken in The Future Starts Here (May to November 2018)

From smart appliances to satellites, artificial intelligence to internet culture, this exhibition brought together more than 100 objects as a landscape of possibilities for the near future.
[V&A]