Photograph details

© Transport for London
Collection of London Transport Museum
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Mounted photograph showing Ellen Bulfield, the last of the women bus conductors employed by the London General Omnibus Company during the First World War. Miss Bulfield ceremoniously hands over to a male colleague. This photograph was issued as a commemorative print.

Unknown photographer, November 1919

Location: Unknown

Image no: Ukn

Inventory no: 2001/56628

Your memories:   I think the idea of the last women bus conductor after the First World War is indicative of the way I was brought up to believe ........ Read more »

20th Century London caption: This is Ellen Bulfield, who was one of the last of the female bus conductors, or 'clippies' as they were known, to hand over to a male colleague on his return from armed service. She worked for the London General Omnibus Company (L.G.O.C.) during the First World War. This picture of the ceremonial handover was made into a commemorative print. She was one of the first conductors to be employed, and a newspaper at the time (the Daily Sketch) estimated that she had travelled over 70,000 miles while working for the L.G.O.C. From 1916, women were hired to replace the 18,000 male transport employees who joined the armed forces at the outbreak of war. However at the end of the war the L.G.O.C. kept its promise to keep the jobs open for the discharged soldiers, so the employment of women was only temporary.

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