At center, a spinning black wheel from which extends a black arm with clenched hand. Lightning bolts issue from the fist. At upper right, a red power plant. Imprinted in red, blue, and black, left margin and lower left portion: POWER / THE / NERVE CENTER / OF LONDON'S / UNDERGROUND.

This object is currently resting in our storage facility. See our image rights statement.

See more objects with the tag electricity, travel, public, graphic design, advertising, promotion, transportation, scale, transport, urban dwellers, stylized, London Underground, diagonal, overlap.

See more objects with the color firebrick maroon darkolivegreen slategrey darkslategrey or see all the colors for this object.

Object Timeline

-0001	We photographed this object.
1930	Work on this object began.
1963	We acquired this object.
2013	This was an Object of the Day.
2017	You found it!

Poster, Power--The Nerve Center of London's Underground, 1930

This is a poster. It was designed by Edward McKnight Kauffer and made for (as the client) Transport for London. It is dated 1930 and we acquired it in 1963. Its medium is lithograph on white wove paper mounted on board. It is a part of the Drawings, Prints, and Graphic Design department.

This object was featured in our Object of the Day series in a post titled The Power Underground.

This object was donated by Mrs. Edward McKnight Kauffer. It is credited Gift of Mrs. E. McKnight Kauffer.

Our curators have highlighted 8 objects that are related to this one. Here are three of them, selected at random:

Drawing, Electric Streetcar Redesign
graphite, blue pastel support: white heavy wove paper.
Gift of Donald Deskey.
1988-101-1475

Bandbox scene depicts eagle bearing in his beak a banderole advertising the manufacturer. Printed on banderole shown in pattern: "PUTNAM AND ROFF. PAPER/ HANGING &/ BAND/ BOX/ MANUFACR/ HARTFORD/ CON". Light blue ground block printed in orange, white, gray, and light brown distemper colors, and in green, brown, black and yellow with glossy finish. Rim covered in border paper with blue ground, block-printed in white, pink, brown and green.

Bandbox And Lid, Putnam and Roff, 1821–24
block printed paper on pasteboard support.
Gift of Mrs. Frederick F. Thompson.
1913-45-10-a,b

A clenched fist bursting through blood with word "Capital" showing through the splatter.

Poster, Capital, 1968
screenprint on paper.
Museum purchase from the Members' Acquisitions Fund of Cooper Hewitt....
2017-8-1

Its dimensions are

101.6 x 61.4 cm (40 x 24 3/16 in. )

It is signed

Imprinted in black ink, lower right: EMcKnightKauffer 1930

It is inscribed

Imprinted in lower right:17.1500.1/3 and VINCENT BROOKS, DAY & SON, LTD. LITH. LONSON. WC.2.

Cite this object as

Poster, Power--The Nerve Center of London's Underground, 1930; Designed by Edward McKnight Kauffer (American, active England, 1890–1954); England; lithograph on white wove paper mounted on board; 101.6 x 61.4 cm (40 x 24 3/16 in. ); Gift of Mrs. E. McKnight Kauffer; 1963-39-45

Short URL http://cprhw.tt/o/2CxY6/
Accession Number 1963-39-45
Object ID 18448065