Description
Object description
whole: the image is positioned in the upper four-fifths, held within a narrow black border. The title and text are separate and positioned along the top edge and in the lower fifth, in black. All set against a white background.
image: a depiction of a busy railway station crowded with civilians and military personnel, many of whom are laden with luggage. Several passenger and goods trains wait at the platforms.
text: [Arabic text]
GOLDEN
[Arabic text]
G.P.D. 377/38/9/9
[Life in Britain today. Painted by Grace Golden. A typical British railway terminus. This is an artist's impression of a main railway terminus such as is to be found in the principal towns of Britain. On the extreme right of the picture are the suburban trains and goods trains. Over 19,000 steam locomotives similar to those shown are operating in Britain to-day. Luggage and goods are piled on the platforms
ready to be put into the trains and taken to their various destinations. The raised foot-bridges are for passengers to use when they wish to pass quickly to other platforms. In the centre and on the left are trains arriving from and departing for various cities, towns and villages many miles away. Among them are several long-distance express trains, including some drawn by the latest types of streamlined
locomotives, of which 75 are now operating in Britain. Inspectors and ticket-collectors stand at the platform gates checking passengers' tickets and, on the right, passengers are seen looking at the times of the trains shown on the Arrivals and Departures Indicator. Near by, people who are about to go on long journeys are browsing through the books, magazines and newspapers on sale at the kiosk while, in front of them, passengers are queueing to buy their railway tickets. Porters pass to and fro trundling heavy trucks of luggage, and the tea-trolley is always popular. Other passengers are making urgent telephone calls to their friends or offices before departure or on arrival, and many are seen wending their way from the steam trains to the staircase that leads to the underground station, whence, in London and one or two provincial centres, they can travel by electric train to other parts of the town. At the Luggage Office on the left, passengers can be seen depositing their luggage while they visit the shops or restaurant. Others are collecting their luggage before going to their platform. Many termini have news cinemas. This shows no particular terminus, but is typical of the major stations on Britain's extensive railway system. A scene of great activity and bustle, it yet reveals an excellent organisation and the smooth functioning of most complicated machinery - a happy combination of freedom, friendliness and efficiency. British railways have made great strides in
engineering, and many trains make daily journeys of over 400 miles. More than 100 trains travel on long journeys at a speed of over 60 miles an hour. British railways cover 50,000 miles of track and have the latest rolling stock and signalling equipment. So safe are British railways that only one death occurs each year through accident for every sixty million passenger journeys safely undertaken.]
Physical description
GPD 377/38/9/9
English language (PST 16299), Persian language (PST 16300) and Hebrew language (PST 16301) versions were also produced.
This poster was printed in Great Britain, presumably for distribution abroad.
Part of the Life in Britain Today poster series (see PST 16291 to 16298, and PST 16303 to PST 16332)