Collections
The Poster, Notice and Handbill Collections
The Coronation Scot, Bryan de Grineau. Produced by the London Midland & Scottish Railway 1937
1981 - 7317
The poster collection contains over 7,000 posters from the pregrouping era to the present day. This is the single most important and comprehensive collection of British Railway posters in the world. It covers the whole history of railway advertising from the earliest simple handbills to today's sophisticated examples.
The story of the railways in Britain has been reflected in the development of the railway poster. This art form illustrates the major changes in British society over the years and captures the spirit and character of British life over that period. They also provide historical information about the geographical growth of the network and about the people for whom they were designed.They illustrate styles in art, the changing patterns of holiday making, urban and rural landscapes, architecture, fashion, the development of advertising standards, and the approaches and aspirations of the companies.
East Coast by LNER. Tom Purvis. Produced by London & North Eastern Railway, c.1930. 1994 - 7419
It is not possible to display the majority of the collection but photographic reference prints of the collection can be consulted in the Research Centre, by appointment.
You can find out more about the history of the British railway posters from our online exhibition on the subject.
See Britain by Train, Abram Games. Produced by British Railways (London Midland Region), 1951
1994-7419
Two illustrated books about the poster collection have been produced which form an excellent introduction to this subject.
Happy as a Sand Boy, Early Railway Posters. B Cole & R Durack, HMSO,1990
This deals with posters up to 1923.
Railway Posters 1923 - 1947. B Cole & R Durack, Laurence King, 1992