On the Banks of Plum Creek

Actually, there are wild plum trees on the banks of Anna Spring.  The pinkish-purple plums are small, but, oh, so delicious. Under the tree are lots of deer droppings - they stand, waiting for the plums to drop to their feet - and three large piles of bear scat - I assume black bear.  The bear have already climbed the trees because there are a lot of old dead branches that their weight broke off.  I always walk along the trail to the trees calling, "Hey bear . . . hey bear!"  There is another wild plum tree on which the plums are golden - but those aren't ripe yet.

I'm not quite ready to give a photo tour of our new house, but here's a photo of Harry, who just had to make himself comfortable on the new chair I bought for my study as soon as I allowed him in through the French doors.

The London Transport Museum - The War Years

1939  Artist: Harold Sandys Williamson

We received our certificate of occupancy for our newly built house and are beginning to move in some things, so I thought I'd better finish up my three-part poster essay from the London Transport Museum.

War was declared against Nazi Germany on September 4, 1939. Barrage balloons were a common sight over London.  A year would pass before London was bombed by the Luftwaffe on September 7, 1940.

1940

1941 Artist: James Fitton

 Blackouts made night travel dangerous.

1942 Artist: Lowes Duback Louard

Posters such as this were commissioned to keep up citizen morale as they went about their daily activities during a very dangerous time.

1943 Artist: Robert Sargent Austin

And their courage.

1944 Artist: Eric Kinnington

A series of posters by Eric Kinnington paid tribute to the civilian transport workers of London, who had stuck to their jobs during the height of the blitz.

1944 Artist:Walter Spradbury

Another series paid tribute to historical sites that had been damaged by bombings. The one above is St. Paul's, designed by Christopher Wren.

1945 Artist:  Fred Taylor

And then the war in Europe was over. And a series of posters asked patience of commuters as Underground and other transport fortifications were slowly removed.

The London Transport Museum Internet site is a fascinating place to visit.

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Posters from the London Transport Museum - Part 2

1921 Charles Paine

Ah, the Art Deco era of poster art from the London Transport Museum. So colorful.

1921 Charles Paine

                                                                    So vibrant.

1922 Charles Paine

                                 So whimsical.  There were more artists producing than Charles Paine, 

                                                           but his art is so appealing.

1923 Aldo Cosomati

1924 Ver ney Danvers

An ad for the Underground in the chill gloom of winter -- or was London suffering from heavy smog? Rather noir-ish, isn't it?

1924 James Henry Down

            Fresh air is just an Underground ride away.  I assume large prams were allowed, but how did one get it down and up the stairs?  Were there elevators?

1925 Mary Koop

1928 A. Moore

1930 Walter Spradbery

1931 Frank Masden Lea

1934 Maurice Miles

This is to me a most beautiful rendition of elephants. And there were many  other lovely posters that year, but none could top this.

1936 Chalres Pears

                                      Pears did a series of waterfront posters for 1936.

1937 F. Gregory Brown

And then F. Gregory Brown matched him the following year with another nautical series. So much visual depth in this rendition.

1938 Mark Fernand Severin

The clock is the symbol of the Underground.  A movie is a short ride away.

1939 by Zero

Autumn was coming. But walks through colorful park foliage would have to be postponed.  Watch for Part 3 of the Transport Museum Posters - The War Years.

Posters at the London Transport Museum - Part 1

1910 John Hassall

In my Internet quest to find illustration art that I can print and frame for my spacious new bath, I wandered upon the London Transport Museum.  What a wonderful site!  After being overwhelmed with the multitudes of posters, I began to search by year. Here then, are just a sample, from 1910 through 1920.

1911 Thomas Robert Way

This ad for using the tram to access the Twickenham ferry shows a romantic evening on the Thames.  The potential customer would have had to stop to view it in that less hurried time.

1912 Charles Sharland

1912 Charles Sharland

 Wouldn't you as a Londoner long for a day in the country?  So easy by motor-bus.

1913 Tony Sarg

A word on Tony Sarg. He was a German who became an American citizen and was known as America's puppet master. He was behind the helium balloon creatures for the Macy's Thanksgiving Day parades and their mechanical window displays. But he was also a book illustrator and artist and lived in Great Britain until 1914.

1914 Fred Taylor

Remember, these ads are directed at Londoners, who seldom saw wide-open spaces, except on holiday.

1914 Tony Sarg

This way for adventure should be the theme.  This was one of a series of a variety of destinations Sarg created, illustrated with a costumed figure from an earlier era. It does make Hounslow Heath seem a bit dangerous.

1915 Edward McKinight Kauffer

1915 Emilio Tafani

1915 was a great year for posters. They had been commissioned before The Great War began in 1914.

1915 The Brothers Warbis

A bit of light humor during a trying time for Londoners.

1916 Emilio Tafani

This is one of my favorites and will probably end up on my wall.

1917 Miss Bowden

There was a series of posters suggesting the Underground as an alternative to other forms of transport when getting about in inclement weather.

1918 Fred Taylor

A reminder to Londoners of the way it was.

1919 P. Cunningham

And then the war was finally over and London  became once again  a place to enjoy, not escape away from (it had been sporadically bombed during the Great War).

1920 Elijah Albert Cox

1920 Elijah Albert Cox

Two of a series of London Characters. London was once again the center of the world.  Stay tune for the Deco period of art advertising posters from the London Transport Museum.