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© Transport for London
Collection of London Transport Museum
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District Railway woman ticket collector at Earl's Court Underground station during the First World War.

Unknown photographer, 1915-1919

Image no: U28076

Inventory no: 1998/36815

20th Century London caption: This woman ticket collector is punching a ticket at Earl's Court station. She has been employed by the Underground Electric Railways of London, the first company to employ women. In March 1915, a temporary policy of 'women substitutes' was passed, and women were recruited to fill the jobs of men who had been called up to fight in the First World War. Women were employed to carry out a variety of station-based jobs, such as lift attendants, porters and ticket collectors. Although the men and women who worked for the transport companies were civilians, during the air raids that started in March 1915 they had to carry on, through darkened streets, much like the police or the fire brigade. The people who kept London moving under adverse and dangerous conditions earned great respect from other Londoners.

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