London Transport Museum has commissioned a new series of vibrant poster artworks celebrating four renowned London cultural attractions that will go on display in Underground stations this
year.
Created by award-winning artist Eliza Southwood, the new series marks the return of contemporary artists being commissioned to create TfL travel posters for the first time since 2020,
continuing the Underground Group and London Transport’s tradition of commissioning talented artists to create inspiring poster artworks that promote things to see and do in the capital.
Travellers on the London Underground will be able to spot the first of the colourful new poster artworks, Dulwich Picture Gallery, from Friday 4 April at stations across the capital. Customers
can find the best way to get to each of these iconic locations using the TfL Go app.
The schedule for 25/26 is as follows:
·
Dulwich Picture Gallery, spring
·
London Transport Museum, summer
·
Royal Albert Hall, autumn
·
London Zoo, winter (early 2026)
Art and design lovers will have the chance to own a piece of transport history by purchasing first edition posters and limited-edition artwork prints – the latter available exclusively
from London Transport Museum. Smaller 30x40cm artwork prints of all four designs will also go on sale for £10 each. All versions can be purchased online via
ltmuseumshop.co.uk
or in-person from the Museum’s Covent Garden store. Each design will become available for purchase as each poster is displayed to the public on the Tube network, with the first of the designs, Dulwich Picture Gallery, available from April.
First edition posters of this design can also be purchased from Dulwich Picture Gallery, online or instore.
Sign up to London Transport Museum’s shop enewsletter
to be the first to hear when each new design goes on sale.
The designer behind the new posters, Eliza Southwood, is an artist and illustrator specialising in screen-printing, as well as mixed media, watercolour and acrylic. In 2019 Southwood won
the Poster Prize for Illustration, a competition hosted by London Transport Museum in partnership with the Association of Illustrators, for her artwork ‘London is the Place for me’, a poignant depiction of the arrival of the HMT Empire Windrush at Tilbury
Docks in 1948.
Southwood’s distinctive, colourful style is a fitting choice for posters depicting some of London’s spectacular cultural attractions and the memorable experiences they provide. From a
summer’s day view of families enjoying the grassy lawn of Dulwich Picture Gallery, the world’s first purpose built public art gallery and home to one of the finest collections of historic paintings in the world, to a glimpse of London Zoo’s beautiful and otherworldly
giraffes peering curiously out of frame – a reminder of the many wonders waiting to be discovered at the world’s oldest scientific zoo, celebrating its 200th
anniversary in 2026. Or the majestically illustrated Royal Albert Hall – the capital’s most famous live music venue – an awe-inspiring landmark offering a concert calendar as diverse as the cacophony of London life that swirls around it. And in its West End
home on Covent Garden Piazza, London Transport Museum, the world’s leading museum of urban transport, is colourfully depicted amongst the hustle and bustle of the crowds – with an iconic Edwardian red B type bus from its collection on display.
The new poster series continues a long tradition of putting great design at the heart of the capital’s transport network, a legacy credited to Frank Pick.
Pick, in his roles as publicity officer at The Underground Group, and later as the first Chief Executive of London Transport, is widely considered the brains behind London transport’s
iconic design style and identity. From 1908 onwards, he revolutionised poster design, commissioning leading contemporary artists and designers to create posters to promote the numerous music venues, theatres, museums, and attractions that could be reached
using London’s public transport.
This approach was a dramatic departure from the pre-existing style of text-based posters, instead capturing the imaginations of travellers with vivid and colourful depictions of exciting
days out that the Tube could easily transport them to. Building a network of talented artists and designers, Pick established London Transport as a leading patron of the arts and brought the capital’s transport system critical and international acclaim.
The new poster series is part of London Transport Museum’s ‘Transported by Culture’ initiative to bring more art, music and theatre programming to its visitors. For 2025 this also includes
weekly live jazz and classic musical performances from young musicians in its main gallery, and a new theatre production to be announced later this month.
The newly commissioned posters will join London Transport Museum’s collection of approximately 36,000 posters and artworks – one of the world’s largest collections of twentieth century
graphic art and design. Visitors to London Transport Museum can see a selection of the Museum’s famous poster artworks on display in its major exhibition
How to Make a Poster, in the
Global
Poster Gallery.
Elizabeth McKay, Director and CEO, London Transport Museum, said:
‘We’re excited to continue Frank Pick’s brilliant design legacy and get posters by contemporary artists back into Underground stations. Pick’s pioneering approach made great art accessible to everyone and helped to shape London’s
transport network into a much-envied global icon, as it remains to this day.
These new posters are part of our bold new vision to celebrate the capital’s creativity through art, theatre and music programming for our visitors. We’re thrilled that Eliza Southwood’s vibrant designs
capture the energy of some of London’s most beloved cultural sites – all easily reached by the Tube.’
