Edward McKnight Kauffer 1890–1954 Power / The Nerve Centre of London's Underground vintage poster
Caption Brief: "The graphic work of E. McKnight Kauffer revolutionized the face of the London Underground. Between 1915 and 1935 he not only created a total of 141 posters for the company but also revitalized portions of the subway stations throughout the city with murals and other examples of public art. This remains one of his most ambitious and rare compositions, fusing images of man and machine to best express the raw energy behind London's electrified train service." Note that "in the upper right, blocks of electric-blue water flow into a simplified rendering of the Battersea Power Station—construction of which was the first stage of the London Power Company's effort to nationalize electric service..." and "at the heart of the turbine is the iconic symbol for the Underground" (The Art Deco Poster, Crouse, p. 266).
1931
39¾ h × 25 w in (101 × 63 cm)
Vincent Brooks, Day & Son, London
Provenance: Collection of William Crouse
Exhibited: Art Deco: Commercializing the Avant-Garde, 28 September 2023 - 25 February 2024, Poster House, New York
Condition: Cond A-: with creases, foxing, and repaired tears. Work has not been examined out of frame but is fully visible. Framed behind acrylic measuring 43.5 × 28.5 × 1.75 inches.
Literature: The Art Deco Poster, Crouse, p. 266; Le Coultre, p. 278; Modern Poster, p. 163; Weill/Art Deco, p. 161; PAI-LXXII, 262
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Caption Brief: "The graphic work of E. McKnight Kauffer revolutionized the face of the London Underground. Between 1915 and 1935 he not only created a total of 141 posters for the company but also revitalized portions of the subway stations throughout the city with murals and other examples of public art. This remains one of his most ambitious and rare compositions, fusing images of man and machine to best express the raw energy behind London's electrified train service." Note that "in the upper right, blocks of electric-blue water flow into a simplified rendering of the Battersea Power Station—construction of which was the first stage of the London Power Company's effort to nationalize electric service..." and "at the heart of the turbine is the iconic symbol for the Underground" (The Art Deco Poster, Crouse, p. 266).
1931
39¾ h × 25 w in (101 × 63 cm)
Vincent Brooks, Day & Son, London
Provenance: Collection of William Crouse
Exhibited: Art Deco: Commercializing the Avant-Garde, 28 September 2023 - 25 February 2024, Poster House, New York
Condition: Cond A-: with creases, foxing, and repaired tears. Work has not been examined out of frame but is fully visible. Framed behind acrylic measuring 43.5 × 28.5 × 1.75 inches.
Literature: The Art Deco Poster, Crouse, p. 266; Le Coultre, p. 278; Modern Poster, p. 163; Weill/Art Deco, p. 161; PAI-LXXII, 262
Estimate
Time, Location
Auction House
