People stories
Introduction
Discover the fascinating stories of the people behind London’s transport – including directors, drivers, canteen workers, architects and designers.
Stories
Tom Eckersley: master graphic designer and king of collage. Read more about an influential poster designer with a distinctive style.
Abram Games was among the most influential poster designers of his generation. Learn more about his commissions for London Transport.
Edward McKnight Kauffer made his name as a master of poster design in the UK. Read more about the star designer of LT's posters.
Hans Unger was one of the UK’s most important post-war graphic designers. Explore Unger’s lively and varied LT posters.
A look back on the occasions when King Charles visited and travelled on London’s transport network.
Learn about London Transport’s role in Queen Elizabeth II's Coronation with photographs and posters from our collection.
In 2022, the Queen celebrated her Platinum Jubilee after 70 years on the throne. Take a look back on the occasions when the Queen visited and travelled on London’s transport network.
To support the Caribbean recruitment scheme in the 1950s - 70s, London Transport made promotional films portraying a positive view of the city new recruits were moving to. See these films in our collection.
We focus on four London transport workers who feature in this map, created in a collaboration between the Black Cultural Archives and Transport for London, using London’s iconic Tube map to celebrate the contributions of Black people to London’s history and culture.
Discover the hidden gardens across the Underground and the history of London Transport's garden competitions
Walter Spradbery was a prolific designer, painter and poet. Read about Spradbery's fruitful relationship with London Transport which spanned over three decades.
Tunnelling developed from mining. In the nineteenth century it was costly, unpredictable and very dangerous. Learn how James Greathead, developed a tool just for the job.
Learn how work on the south London Northern line Extension extension has also revealed surprising links between the Underground and the area’s queer history.
The London Transport Baker Street Canteen Training Centre opened in 1949. Learn how canteen staff gained a variety of skills, including food preparation, cookery skills, customer service and hygienic cleaning practices.
By the early 1950s LT's catering department operated 165 canteens across Greater London. Discover how Croydon Food Production Centre was at the heart of improvements introduced to help canteens struggling to meet demand.
For much of the twentieth century, London’s transport companies provided canteens for staff to take a break, eat and relax. Discover what was required to keep the workforce well fed and fit for keeping the Capital moving.
Laura Knight was one of the most popular British artists of her lifetime, with her success paving the way for greater recognition of women artists. Learn about Knight's poster commissions for London Underground and London Transport.
Transport for London staff reflect on the Windrush generation. An online exhibition created and curated by the Staff Network Group, reflecting on personal experiences and those of their community in poetry.
Discover David Langdon's Billy Brown of London Town - a smartly dressed cartoon character who showed people how to behave and stay safe when travelling around the city during the Second World War.
Both men and women were recruited through London Transport's direct recruitment campaign from the Caribbean. Read about how Black women have contributed to London Transport over the years, from canteen staff to bus drivers and beyond.
Other stories
Tom Eckersley: master graphic designer and king of collage. Read more about an influential poster designer with a distinctive style.
Our Metropolitan Railway coach dates from 1900. Read more about one of a group of coaches designed to be hauled by steam locomotives on the Metropolitan Railway.
Our West Ham Corporation electric tram dates from 1910. Learn how electric trams operated in London from the early 1900s to the 1950s.
Our Leyland X2 type bus was one of the ‘first generation’ of motorbuses to run on London’s streets. Learn more about one of the earliest surviving motorbuses in the country.
Abram Games was among the most influential poster designers of his generation. Learn more about his commissions for London Transport.
Edward McKnight Kauffer made his name as a master of poster design in the UK. Read more about the star designer of LT's posters.
As well as the red bus, the other iconic vehicle of London’s streets is the black cab. Read a short history of the Carbodies FX4S Plus taxi.
London’s public transport system is known the world over. Learn how and why posters were first commissioned by the Underground.
Learn about LT's advertising across history, from enamel signs in the late nineteenth century to digital screens in the twenty-first
Hans Unger was one of the UK’s most important post-war graphic designers. Explore Unger’s lively and varied LT posters.
Since 2004, London Underground have commissioned a variety of British and international artists to create covers for their pocket Tube maps, representing one of the largest public art commissions in the UK.
A look back on the occasions when King Charles visited and travelled on London’s transport network.
Browse more stories by category
From the logo to the map and posters to moquette, London’s transport design is known across the world. Discover the stories behind them here.
Stories about the marvels of engineering that have kept Londoners moving - from buses and trains to escalators and ticket machines.
Read about all of London's modes of transport from riverboats in the 1800s to Tube trains, buses, bicycles and even cable cars of today
London’s transport played an extraordinary part in both world wars. Find out more about the efforts of staff at home and overseas.
