New artwork in Piccadilly station to honour former Underground boss Frank Pick
Frank Pick was the artist behind many of London's iconic Underground designs, and now he's being commemorated with some artwork of his own.
A major piece is being unveiled today, on the 75th anniversary of his death, dedicated to the man who commissioned some of the most recognisable creations of the Underground.
The London Transport Museum and London Underground's Art on the Underground project have teamed up to reveal the new piece, entitled BEAUTY < IMMORTALITY which has been produced by Turner Prize nominated artists Landlands and Bell.
The wall installation features Pick's name inside the iconic Underground circle and bar design, and a number of bronze words based on his handwritten notes.
For the past few months the museum has been crowdfunding to help complete the memorial. They have raised over £3,600 so far.
Who was Frank Pick?
Pick was chief executive of London Transport during the 1930s, and commissioned some of the most recognisable artwork and designs of the network's history.
This included:
The Johnston typeface
Edward Johnston fulfilled Pick's request for bold letters that were classic, modern but functional. A version of it is still used today.
One of the original tube maps
Harry Beck, an English engineer, created a linear, colour-coded diagram of the tube network. It's changed a fair bit since the 1930s, but the map is now one of the most recognisable in the world.
Credit: London Transport Museum
Revolutionary graphic posters
Credit: London Transport Museum
Pick started a publicity drive by commissioning John Hassall to design a modern graphics poster to advertise the Underground. Many more artists and commissions followed, many of which are still recognisable today.