COP3// THEMES OF TRANSPORT FOR LONDON MUSEUM//OUGD601

TRANSPORT FOR LONDON MUSEUM
After looking at the TFL museum page's overview of what themes are covered in the museum I think it would benefit my research to visit as it covers specific areas that I am interested in:

WORLDS FIRST UNDERGROUND:

Main line railways made it easier to get to London, but also contributed to the growing congestion on the streets.

In 1860 work began on the first attempt to solve the problem: an underground railway. The Metropolitan Railway was designed to link three of London's main line termini with the City. The track was laid mostly in a shallow cutting excavated along the street, which was then roofed over. This method was known as cut-and-cover construction.

The first section of the Metropolitan opened from Paddington to Farringdon on 10 January 1863. A second underground line, the District, began operating five years later. The two were eventually linked to create the Circle line in 1884.

The early underground was a huge engineering achievement and very well used, but had one big disadvantage. Its steam locomotives created a permanent sulphurous fug in the stations and tunnels. The only surviving steam engine from the 1860s, Metropolitan number 23, is on display in the Museum.

TRANSPORT BY DESIGN:

As London's transport system grew in complexity, Londoners wanted better coordination of services. But the competing interests of the many private and public transport operators posed a challenge.

London Transport was created in 1933 to bring all the services under one public authority, and it was Frank Pick, London Transport's new Chief Executive, who had the energy and vision to devise a creative solution.

Pick's mantra was 'fitness for purpose' and he believed that good design was essential to London Transport's identity as an efficient company. The Museum's design gallery shows how this unique design culture was developed across the company's entire range, from vehicles and architecture to information signs and publicity.

In keeping with this modern approach, London Underground became a leading patron of modern art, commissioning posters from both established artists and talented newcomers. London Transport Museum holds a unique archive of more than 5000 posters and works of art covering a century of graphic design.