Photograph details

© Transport for London
Collection of London Transport Museum
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First World War woman bus conductor Florence Cordell stands beside a London General Omnibus Company Inspector, who checks her waybill.

Photographed by Topical Press, 1916 - 1919

Image no: U12475

Inventory no: 1998/88529

Your memories:   This very unhappy young Conductress is seen wearing a 'Bell Punch' ticket canceller and is holding her ticket rack which ........ Read more »

20th Century London caption: This picture shows a young woman in her 'clippie' uniform. She looks smart in her jacket, skirt and high boots, although one woman recalled they were uncomfortable to wear. It is thought to be Florence Cordell, who worked as a clippie on the buses during the First World War. She was one of hundreds of women taken on to keep the buses running when huge numbers of men left London to fight. Clippies were so-called because they clipped the passengers' tickets to validate them. The woman is holding a book of tickets in her hand and wearing her clip machine around her neck. The man on the left is a bus inspector. He is checking the waybill. On this sheet, the clippie filled in the types of tickets sold and the total fares taken.

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