Work at the station has recently uncovered these amazing advertising posters in non-public areas and that date from c1956 - 1959 when the station's lifts were removed and replaced by escalators. These are in an old lift passageway.
We will be leaving these intact - and please do not pester the station staff as the posters are wholly inaccessible - which is why they've probably survived 50 odd years!
The photos were taken officially - please do credit London Underground in any links.
Tags: London London Underground tube station Notting Hill Gate Notting Hill Gate station poster old posters old adverts 1950s hidden places abandoned tube station abandoned places abandoned passageways abandoned station old London disused places disused spaces disused tube station graphic design typeface type lettering typography vintage advertising poster design Mike Ashworth Collection
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An illustration from a 1957 article on the modernisation of British Railway's catering and hotels - described in the caption as being "done out in the modern manner". It is very period piece - in terms of colour and materials and sadly, from a design history standpoint, very little 'New Elizabethan' design of the post-Festival of Britain period survives. Marley style floor tiles, very 1950s colour scheme with lots of formica and that marvellous stall riser to the bar top, probably in laminate. It was a far cry from the Brief Encounter style that had been the norm only a decade before - although it is fair to say that although BR tried its best with many catering outlets quite a lot of the older ones survived for a good few years and had they survived until now, they'd no doubt be treasured gems!
Tags: British Transport Commission British Railways Modernisation Plan 1957 railway publicity Royal Scot Bar Euston Euston station British Railways Catering Mike Ashworth Collection
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A fine example of the pre-Worboys UK road signs seen here in London in 1954. To add to the interest are London trolleybuses and a branch of the ABC - the Aerated Bread Company, one of the largest chains of bakers and cafes in the city. After much discussion below, the picture is taken at the north end of Tottenham Court Road with the now lost, famous Maples Furniture Store on the right.
Tags: London road sign pre-Worboys road sign 1954 Trolleybus London Transport London Trolleybus ABC cafe Aerated Bread Company street furniture Tottenham Court Rd 629 trolleybus Enfield Oetzmann ELB 834 Maples Furniture Mike Ashworth Collection
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The Southern Railway instituted one of the world's largest suburban electrification schemes in the 1930s, lines that reached down to the South Coast. This charming carriage shaped, fold out brochure extols the virtues of tired business men having a day out using the new, fast services - the lettering and 'flashes' are common to much Southern 'Electric' advertising of the period.
Tags: Southern Railway Southern Electric railway publicity railway ephemera 1935 The Electric Coast Mike Ashworth Collection
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The glossy brochure issued by the British Transport Commission who, along with the railways that served the Terminal, operated the UK's ex-railways docks, harbours and inland waterways through the Docks and Inland Waterways Executive. It describes the fine Ocean Terminal constructed in post-war austerity and opened on 31 July 1950 to serve the then huge numbers of passengers who travelled on liner services and arrived or departed Southampton by rail. As can be seen the Terminal was designed to deal with a full range of services from arrival or departure by train at 'ground level' and on upper floors services such as baggage, customs and passport control were situated along with a wide range of almost airport style passenger amenities; banks, shops and restuarants.
Architecturally there is something of a Festival of Britain style but overall it has a feel of a pre-war design that was dusted down and I suspect that the Southern Railway, who pre-nationalisation ran Southampton's Docks, may have had a design that was delayed by war. There is a certain restraint in terms of design shown here - but very plush and quite corporate. I like that very corporate look that includes all the service areas, shops and banks.
I quote R P Biddle, the Docks and Marine Manager of the Transport Commission - "there is a streamlined efficiency about the operations which the ocean passenger of today rightly expects and which instantly creates a favourable impression". Oddly no architect is credited.
But it was all very commodious and in pre-jet aviation days it was one of the ports of entry or exit to the UK and I wonder how many passengers waved hello or goodbye to people standing on the liner-like decks of the building over the years.
As liner traffic decreased in the 1960s the Terminal saw less and less use and was finally closed in 1980 and sadly, amidst some protest, it was demolished in 1983. A shame really as within a decade Southampton was busy again with cruise ship traffic and my, would not this building restored have made quite the sight?
Tags: Southampton Ocean Terminal Southampton 1950 shipping ephemera British Transport Commission Docks and Inland Waterways Board RMS Queen Elizabeth Cunard Mike Ashworth Collection
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