Category Archives: Uncategorized

I’ve posted before about Edward McKnight Kauffer. Here’s an early design, by him, for a cotton manufacturer in manchester. These simple labels were attached to bales of printed cotton for export to the South American market. Kauffer produced a series … Continue reading →

Here is the cover of a railway guide to the Cornish Riviera, published by the Great Western Railway in 1934. The text is by SPB Mais and the cover is by Edward McKnight Kauffer. Kauffer was a genius of graphic … Continue reading →

Here’s a lovely bit of “home-made” graphic design for an Ian Allan. It’s a pocket-sized quiz book. Ideal for the time spent waiting for things to happen on the railway station platform. I love the arbitrary design choices – it’s … Continue reading →

In the years after WW2, the French railways, SNCF, began an ambitious project to electrify their mainline services. This was all part of rebuilding the railways after the war and, also, of re-establishing France’s reputation as a technical power-house. By … Continue reading →

Here’s another picture found by my colleague, David Hendley. In this one, the engine is moving and the picture is taken, I guess, from a bridge above the tracks. The photographer has chosen his spot well. The train is moving … Continue reading →

My colleague, David Hendley, photography tutor at CSM has been busy finding me fabulous old pictures of railway engines. Here’s a streamliner from France (Paris-Lyon-Marseille). It’s not easy to get a good photo of a train – moving or standing … Continue reading →

This is a picture, from Friday evening’s Standard, of a young woman standing on a freight train parked at Hackney Wick station in East London. A harmless, if stupid, bit of fun you may think; except that the train is … Continue reading →

I found this wood-engraving on google by accident…it shows happy factory workers leaving the railway workshop against a backdrop of brand new diesel locos…This is obviously an image associated with the great Chinese modernisation of the 1950s. Implicit in this … Continue reading →

When I was small, there was a TV series of train driver adventures with Casey Jones…he always wore a particular kind of cotton jacket with a distinctive woven stripe. You can see the effect on the cap that Casey wears … Continue reading →

Here’s an early 19C trade card, engraved on metal with a lovely old loco and some elegant typography. The black and white provides a terrific sparkle, or dazzle, that catches the eye.