London's Tramways: to the West End

Advertising poster commissioned by London County Council Tramways to promote their tram services serving the West End, London's main leisure area. This poster was originally entitled 'London's Theatre Land' but the title was changed at the design stage. Designer Pieter Irwin Brown was born in Rotterdam and studied at the Royal Academy in Amsterdam. His later career took him to the Far East and America but he spent the late 1920s in London, designing advertising posters.
From the 1920s a more integrated public transport system enabled those living in the suburbs to travel more easily to the theatres, cinemas and restaurants clustered around Leicester Square, the Strand and Piccadilly. Going 'up west' became a popular Saturday night treat for all classes of Londoners.