The Australian War Memorial Collection. Test site
British Second World War poster by Walter E Spradbery DCM (1889 - 1969). One in a series called ' The Proud City' commissioned by London Transport in 1944 to boost the morale of the travelling public. The series celebrates London's survival of the Blitz and features views of iconic London buildings as if rising out of the ruins of a war-scarred landscape of the city. They appealed to commuters sense of pride over, and common ownership of, several prominent London public landmarks to remind them what they were fighting for. Spradbery designed posters for London Transport from 1912 - 1944 and this was his last series. The artist also chose the quotations featured in the series.
This poster depicts the Chelsea Power House from Meek Street. The image takes up the whole of the top two thirds of the poster. It shows the Power House in an almost abstract representation in the background against a night sky filled with three searchlights. In the foreground are the ruins of Meek Street. The image is painterly and framed with a white border. Title text is at the top and beneath the image and a quotation by the artist James McNeill Whistler (1834 - 1903, American born and British based painter and etcher) is printed lower right. The London Transport logo is prominently located lower left in white. Both image and text are set against a khaki background.
British Second World War poster by Walter E Spradbery DCM (1889 - 1969). One in a series called ' The Proud City' commissioned by London Transport in 1944 to boost the morale of the travelling public.
British Second World War poster by Walter E Spradbery DCM (1889 - 1969). One in a series called ' The Proud City' commissioned by London Transport in 1944 to boost the morale of the travelling public.
British Second World War poster by Walter E Spradbery DCM (1889 - 1969). One in a series of six called ' The Proud City' commissioned by London Transport in 1944 to boost the morale of the travelling
British Second World War poster by Walter E Spradbery DCM (1889 - 1969). One in a series of six called ' The Proud City' commissioned by London Transport in 1944 to boost the morale of the travelling
British Second World War poster by Walter E Spradbery DCM (1889 - 1969). One in a series of six called ' The Proud City' commissioned by London Transport in 1944 to boost the morale of the travelling
British Second World War poster by Walter E Spradbery DCM (1889 - 1969). One in a series of six called ' The Proud City' commissioned by London Transport in 1944 to boost the morale of the travelling