IMAGE, IDEA & CONTEXT
On a recent trip to london, I paid a visit to the transport museum to see their collection of information and tourism posters. I'd been inspired by the wealth of illustration used on the underground signs and posters on a previous visit so thought a visit to the collection would be exciting. Something common across many of the posters in the collection was the use of reduced colour palettes and often shape based imagery. From seeing a wealth of posters from throughout the years of the museum, these approaches to image making seem consistent, perhaps for their simplicity and immediacy. The images above by Frederick Charles Herrick were created in the 1920s, demonstrating the importance of design even in more restricted eras. Herrick employs motifs of leisure to promote the city's rich social culture. Playing to London's theatre heritage, the 'seeing' image is immediate through imagery, yet appropriately considered in line with the cultures the city boasts.
This is paralleled by Victor Galbraith who also employs visual devices to communicate motifs of the city. The image of the pigeon appeals to humour whilst employing the iconic underground sign as his eye to merge the ideas of travel. The use of the underground symbol as a device for the eye draws an immediate connection between social opportunities and travel, demonstrating the on-going connection between travel information posters and tourism.
The work of Horace Taylor explores the vibrancy of 1920s London, his work perhaps serving to colour the city. Block, vibrant pop colours explore fun and playful aesthetics, achieving a tone of voice that unveils a brighter, more exciting way of living in such a metropolis. It is interesting that across these posters, one thing is consistent, they all appeal to a lifestyle that can be achieved by using the underground, demonstrating the weight of visual imagery on the success of seemingly necessary facilities.
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