Global Poster Gallery
Explore our poster collection in our first permanent gallery dedicated to commercial poster art and design.
About the Gallery
New gallery now open
Discover the power of the poster in our new permanent gallery, the Global Poster Gallery, sponsored by Global, the Media & Entertainment group.
For the first time, artworks and designs from our world-class collection of over 30,000 advertising posters will be displayed in a dedicated gallery, alongside loans from other significant collections.
Entry to the Global Poster Gallery is free with your Museum admission.
The history of poster commissioning
When Frank Pick, the first Chief Executive of London Transport, first took charge of the Underground’s publicity in 1908, he revolutionised poster design. Driven by his belief that good design enriches life, Pick injected new life into a previously conservative, text-based medium by commissioning pictorial posters.
Pick believed that ‘there is room in posters for all styles’ and in the 1920s, he began to commission more adventurous posters. He went on to work with graphic designers influenced by radical and avant-garde art movements, such as futurism, cubism, and surrealism, conveying the modernity of the Underground. Many of the posters in this period had a strong art deco flavour.
Over three decades, Pick cultivated an extensive network of talented artists and designers. This legacy established London Transport as a leading patron of the arts and brought the capital’s transport system critical and international acclaim for its graphic art and design.
The new Global Poster Gallery at London Transport Museum in Covent Garden will celebrate this important design heritage and its global influence.
Read more
Discover more about the story of poster design and commissioning with our Stories
How to Make a Poster
The Global Poster Gallery is now open with its inaugural exhibition, How to Make a Poster.
The exhibition is a visual exploration of poster commissioning and creativity in the pre-digital age from 1900.
It explores the poster-making process behind some of the 20th century’s most influential commercial art and design.
More than 100 poster artworks and posters from London Transport Museum’s collection are on display, including the Underground’s very first pictorial poster titled ‘No need to ask a p’liceman’ by John Hassall, dating from 1908.
Iconic posters by internationally recognised figures will also be on show, including works by the American graphic artists Edward McKnight Kauffer and Man Ray, the German-born graphic designer Hans Unger, and prominent British artists such as Abram Games, Tom Eckersley, Paul Catherall, and Dora M Batty, who was the most prolific female designer commissioned by the Underground.
Events
To celebrate the opening of the gallery, we’ve planned poster-themed events for everyone to enjoy.
Art and poster store tour
Immerse yourself in the rich design heritage of London’s transport while exploring a selection of posters from our world-class collection, and rarely seen original artworks.
Our poster collection
We care for one of the world’s largest collections of 20th century graphic art and design, with around 1,000 original poster artworks and over 30,000 posters housed at or Museum Depot in Acton, west London.
Our collection is Designated Outstanding by Arts Council England.
Discover our posters and artwork on our Collections Online - and choose from over 3,500 print-to-order posters available to purchase from our online shop.
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