Not on display

Q.E.D

Poster
1929 (designed), 1929 (printed)
Artist/Maker
Place of origin

This poster was designed for London Transport in 1929 by the calligrapher, graphic designer, textile printer, watercolour painter and printmaker Margaret Calkin James (1895-1985), best known for the posters she designed for London Transport between 1928 and 1935. She also designed book jackets, textiles, and booklets and programmes. It shows audience members in a theatre seated in the stalls watching a musical theatre performance, with another image below showing passengers comfortably seated in an underground railway carriage. The message it intended to convey was that an evening at the theatre would be more enjoyable and convenient if reached by Underground. Its title 'Q.E.D' indicates that this message has been proved like a mathematical experiment which ends with those letters standing for 'Quod erat demonstrandum', or 'what was to be demonstrated' - meaning that proof has been given.

This was one of many attractive and distinctive posters commissioned for London Transport in the 1920s and 1930s by its publicity officer Frank Pick (1878-1941), who encouraged the use of trains outside peak hours in a bid to increase passenger numbers. He began to commission posters promoting the recreational use of the Underground to reach the countryside around London or attractions within the city, such as the theatre.

Object details

Categories
Object type
TitleQ.E.D (manufacturer's title)
Materials and techniques
colour lithograph on paper
Brief description
Poster entitled Q.E.D., issued by London Transport to promote the joys of returning from the theatre by underground railway. Colour lithography by Margaret Calkin James printed by Waterlow & Sons, 1929.
Physical description
Poster printed in orange, blue, green, pink and grey on white paper featuring an image of the back view of an audience in the stalls section of an auditorium watching a performance of dancing chorus girls on stage, the conductor standing conducting the orchestra. Beneath the image of the auditorium audience members are shown seated in an underground railway carriage, the men reading newspapers, with the letters Q.E.D. in white on an orange ground along the bottom of the poster.
Dimensions
  • Height: 100.8cm
  • Width: 63.4cm
Credit line
Bequeathed by Margaret Calkin James
Subjects depicted
Summary
This poster was designed for London Transport in 1929 by the calligrapher, graphic designer, textile printer, watercolour painter and printmaker Margaret Calkin James (1895-1985), best known for the posters she designed for London Transport between 1928 and 1935. She also designed book jackets, textiles, and booklets and programmes. It shows audience members in a theatre seated in the stalls watching a musical theatre performance, with another image below showing passengers comfortably seated in an underground railway carriage. The message it intended to convey was that an evening at the theatre would be more enjoyable and convenient if reached by Underground. Its title 'Q.E.D' indicates that this message has been proved like a mathematical experiment which ends with those letters standing for 'Quod erat demonstrandum', or 'what was to be demonstrated' - meaning that proof has been given.

This was one of many attractive and distinctive posters commissioned for London Transport in the 1920s and 1930s by its publicity officer Frank Pick (1878-1941), who encouraged the use of trains outside peak hours in a bid to increase passenger numbers. He began to commission posters promoting the recreational use of the Underground to reach the countryside around London or attractions within the city, such as the theatre.
Associated object
S.5075-1995 (Object)
Collection
Accession number
S.3102-2010

About this object record

Explore the Collections contains over a million catalogue records, and over half a million images. It is a working database that includes information compiled over the life of the museum. Some of our records may contain offensive and discriminatory language, or reflect outdated ideas, practice and analysis. We are committed to addressing these issues, and to review and update our records accordingly.

You can write to us to suggest improvements to the record.

Suggest feedback

Record createdDecember 29, 2010
Record URL
Download as: JSON