London Transport (brand)
Encyclopedia
London Transport was the public name and brand used by a series of public transport authorities in London
, England, from 1933. Its most recognisable feature was the bar-and-circle 'roundel' logo. With its origins in the Underground Electric Railways Company of London
(UERL), the brand was first used by the London Passenger Transport Board
(LPTB) to unify the identity of the previously separately owned and managed London Underground
, Metropolitan Railway
, bus and tram services. The London Transport brand was extended under the direction of Frank Pick
to all aspects of transport operation including poster designs, tickets, train livery, seat upholstery and the station architecture of Charles Holden
. The brand was discontinued in 2000 and replaced with that of Transport for London
; which has built on the legacy of London Transport and incorporated many of its design features into its own house style.
. The solid red circle was replaced with a disc and was registered as a trademark. In 1913 Edward Johnston
was commissioned to design a new common typeface
. The dimensions of the roundel were standardised by the 1920s. Architect Charles Holden
incorporated the roundel design into much of the station architecture of the 1920s and early 30s. The use of modern graphic posters to advertise public transport began in this period, with works commissioned by Frank Pick
.
(LTE). The austerity of the period caused the authority to seek ways to reduce their manufacturing and maintenance costs; this led to new simplified designs. In 1966 Bryce Beaumont became publicity officer and following his appointment a central marketing department was established. Basil Hooper was appointed as London Transport's group marketing director in 1974. These changes led to an increased use of external agencies for publicity work, including the 1979 "Fly the Tube" campaign by Foote, Cone and Belding.
in 2000. The new organisation has continued the use of the roundel as its own logo and has extended its application to all areas of operation, including the Docklands Light Railway
, taxis, and streets management. The roundel was also adapted for use on the London Overground
services starting in 2007.
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
, England, from 1933. Its most recognisable feature was the bar-and-circle 'roundel' logo. With its origins in the Underground Electric Railways Company of London
Underground Electric Railways Company of London
The Underground Electric Railways Company of London Limited , known operationally as The Underground for much of its existence, was established in 1902. It was the holding company for the three deep-level "tube"A "tube" railway is an underground railway constructed in a circular tunnel by the use...
(UERL), the brand was first used by the London Passenger Transport Board
London Passenger Transport Board
The London Passenger Transport Board was the organisation responsible for public transport in London, UK, and its environs from 1933 to 1948...
(LPTB) to unify the identity of the previously separately owned and managed London Underground
London Underground
The London Underground is a rapid transit system serving a large part of Greater London and some parts of Buckinghamshire, Hertfordshire and Essex in England...
, Metropolitan Railway
Metropolitan railway
Metropolitan Railway can refer to:* Metropolitan line, part of the London Underground* Metropolitan Railway, the first underground railway to be built in London...
, bus and tram services. The London Transport brand was extended under the direction of Frank Pick
Frank Pick
Frank Pick LLB Hon. RIBA was a British transport administrator. After qualifying as a solicitor in 1902, he worked at the North Eastern Railway, before moving to the Underground Electric Railways Company of London in 1906...
to all aspects of transport operation including poster designs, tickets, train livery, seat upholstery and the station architecture of Charles Holden
Charles Holden
Charles Henry Holden, Litt. D., FRIBA, MRTPI, RDI was a Bolton-born English architect best known for designing many London Underground stations during the 1920s and 1930s, for Bristol Central Library, the Underground Electric Railways Company of London's headquarters at 55 Broadway and for the...
. The brand was discontinued in 2000 and replaced with that of Transport for London
Transport for London
Transport for London is the local government body responsible for most aspects of the transport system in Greater London in England. Its role is to implement the transport strategy and to manage transport services across London...
; which has built on the legacy of London Transport and incorporated many of its design features into its own house style.
Origins
Many aspects of the London Transport brand had their origins in the UERL. The bar-and-circle 'roundel' logo was first devised in 1908 and was used as part of the name boards at stations. The distinctive design, of a solid red circle and blue bar, enabled the station name to be easily identified. Also in 1908 a consistent logotype was devised, which would later be adopted by LPTB. From the 1910s, the logotype and roundel started to be used together. The roundel was adapted in 1912, influenced by the logo of the London General Omnibus CompanyLondon General Omnibus Company
The London General Omnibus Company or LGOC, was the principal bus operator in London between 1855 and 1933. It was also, for a short period between 1909 and 1912, a motor bus manufacturer.- Overview :...
. The solid red circle was replaced with a disc and was registered as a trademark. In 1913 Edward Johnston
Edward Johnston
Edward Johnston, CBE was a British-Uruguayan craftsman who is regarded, with Rudolf Koch, as the a father of modern calligraphy, in the form of the broad edged pen as a writing tool, a particular form of calligraphy....
was commissioned to design a new common typeface
Johnston (typeface)
Johnston is a humanist sans-serif typeface designed by and named after Edward Johnston. It is well known for its use by Transport for London....
. The dimensions of the roundel were standardised by the 1920s. Architect Charles Holden
Charles Holden
Charles Henry Holden, Litt. D., FRIBA, MRTPI, RDI was a Bolton-born English architect best known for designing many London Underground stations during the 1920s and 1930s, for Bristol Central Library, the Underground Electric Railways Company of London's headquarters at 55 Broadway and for the...
incorporated the roundel design into much of the station architecture of the 1920s and early 30s. The use of modern graphic posters to advertise public transport began in this period, with works commissioned by Frank Pick
Frank Pick
Frank Pick LLB Hon. RIBA was a British transport administrator. After qualifying as a solicitor in 1902, he worked at the North Eastern Railway, before moving to the Underground Electric Railways Company of London in 1906...
.
Adoption by LPTB
The LPTB initially devised its own brand and logo in 1933. This was almost immediately abandoned and the London Underground roundel was adapted for use by the authority under the new trading name London Transport. The London Transport name was added to the logos devised for the trams and buses. In 1935 the bus stop 'flag' was redesigned and simplified by Hans Schleger to include the roundel outline; the design has remained broadly the same since. A standard signs manual was created during this period, codifying the design principles that had developed.Brand development
In the post-war period the London Transport brand was passed to the nationalised London Transport ExecutiveLondon Transport Executive
The London Transport Executive was the organisation responsible for public transport in the Greater London area, UK, between 1948-1962. In common with all London transport authorities from 1933 to 2000, the public name and operational brand of the organisation was London Transport.-Creation:On 1...
(LTE). The austerity of the period caused the authority to seek ways to reduce their manufacturing and maintenance costs; this led to new simplified designs. In 1966 Bryce Beaumont became publicity officer and following his appointment a central marketing department was established. Basil Hooper was appointed as London Transport's group marketing director in 1974. These changes led to an increased use of external agencies for publicity work, including the 1979 "Fly the Tube" campaign by Foote, Cone and Belding.
Legacy
Control of public transport in London passed to Transport for LondonTransport for London
Transport for London is the local government body responsible for most aspects of the transport system in Greater London in England. Its role is to implement the transport strategy and to manage transport services across London...
in 2000. The new organisation has continued the use of the roundel as its own logo and has extended its application to all areas of operation, including the Docklands Light Railway
Docklands Light Railway
The Docklands Light Railway is an automated light metro or light rail system opened on 31 August 1987 to serve the redeveloped Docklands area of London...
, taxis, and streets management. The roundel was also adapted for use on the London Overground
London Overground
London Overground is a suburban rail network in London and Hertfordshire. It has been operated by London Overground Rail Operations since 2007 as part of the National Rail network, under the franchise control and branding of Transport for London...
services starting in 2007.