London, 2013-Feb-14
Today, 15 February, sees the launch of the Siemens Poster Vote – a poll to find the UK’s favourite London Underground poster of all time.
Poster Art 150 – London Underground’s Greatest Designs is an eight-month long art exhibition, sponsored by Siemens and forming a core element of London Underground’s 150th anniversary celebrations. The exhibition features a dazzling variety of poster styles, showcasing designs from the late 19th century to the present - all created to advertise London’s iconic Underground.
Selected by a panel of art and design experts and historians, 150 of the best designs are displayed in a unique exhibition at London Transport Museum in Covent Garden. Themes range from days out in the city and London’s countryside, to famous capital landmarks and events. Featured posters show how the Underground has kept London on the move with improvements in reliability, frequency and new technology. Posters on way-finding and etiquette show us how passengers have navigated the Tube. Poster Art 150 will also feature rare letter-press (a printing technique that involves printing words or designs with ink while simultaneously indenting the image) posters from the late nineteenth century.
Steve Scrimshaw, Managing Director of Siemens Rail Systems, said: “Art is a really personal thing and everyone likes something different. With 150 different posters on display, representing art over the last century, there will be something to appeal to all tastes. The Siemens Poster Vote is a fantastic way for people to try to promote their favourite image to the ‘number one’ slot.”
Sam Mullins, Director of London Transport Museum, added: “We’re delighted that Siemens is sponsoring this exhibition and helping us highlight how important graphic art has been on the Underground over the last century. There are some really iconic designs on display and I’d encourage people of all ages to come and visit the museum and help us choose the nation’s favourite poster.”
Poster Art 150 visitors can select their preferred poster at the exhibition on a dedi-cated touchscreen or by using a smart phone to scan QR codes by each poster, or online by visiting ltmuseum.co.uk. The UK’s favourite image will be revealed at the end of the exhibition.
The exhibition is part of a year-long programme of events and activities to celebrate London Underground’s 150th anniversary. Siemens is a principal sponsor of the celebrations. The company’s’ relationship with London Underground extends back to the 1890s, when the very first electric underground locomotives made their appearance in London. Equipment designed by Siemens is still commonly used in electric motors today.
For more information on Siemens’ involvement in the 150th anniversary celebrations visit: www.siemens.com/tube150
The lure of the Underground, by Alfred Leete, 1927
Ends
Contact for journalists:
Siemens Rail Systems
Laurie Waugh,
Phone: 07921 242074
E-mail: laurie.waugh@siemens.com
Siemens plc
Siemens was established in the United Kingdom 170 years ago and now employs around 13,520 people in the UK. Last year’s revenues were £3.2 billion*. As a leading global engineering and technology services company, Siemens provides innovative solutions to help tackle the world’s major challenges, across the key sectors of energy, industry, infrastructure & cities and healthcare. Siemens has offices and factories throughout the UK, with its headquarters in Frimley, Surrey. The company’s global headquarters is in Munich, Germany. For more information, visit www.siemens.co.uk
* Data includes intercompany revenue. Data may not be comparable with revenue reported in annual or interim reports.
Siemens Rail Systems
As part of the Siemens Infrastructure & Cities Sector, Siemens Rail Systems Division provides expertise and technology in the full range of rail vehicles – from heavy rail to metros to trams and light-rail vehicles. In the UK, the Division employs around 700 people and maintains over 350 Siemens passenger trains for First TransPennine Express, South West Trains, Heathrow Express, National Express East Anglia, Northern Rail, London Midland and ScotRail.
