Willesden No 7 box poster – Norman Wilkinson – 1925

Willesden No 7 box poster – Norman Wilkinson – 1925 The Artistry of the Willesden No 7 Box Poster The Willesden No 7 box poster is a magnificent piece of railway art, capturing a moment of industrial beauty on the West Coast Main Line. Created by the celebrated artist Norman Wilkinson, the poster depicts a dramatic twilight scene at Willesden, where the towering high-level signal box stands as a sentinel of progress. The vibrant colours and strong composition draw the eye, making this vintage LMS railway poster a must-have for any enthusiast. Wilkinson’s artistic vision perfectly frames the scene. The massive signal box, with its numerous windows hinting at the flurry of activity within, is positioned prominently on the left-hand side. A sturdy bridge arches over five gleaming railway lines, creating a sense of dynamic motion and scale. On the right, a powerful steam train, enveloped in a cloud of billowing smoke, roars towards the viewer. This masterful depiction on the Willesden No 7 box poster not only illustrates a railway scene but also evokes a feeling of awe and adventure. A Glimpse into Willesden’s Railway History To truly appreciate the Willesden No 7 box poster, one must understand the rich history of the location it depicts. Willesden Junction in Harlesden was a complex and bustling railway hub from its earliest days. Its development included three adjacent sites: the West Coast Main Line (WCML) station, opened in 1866 by the London & North Western Railway; the High-Level station on the North London Line, which opened in 1869; and the ‘Willesden New Station’ or Low-Level station on the Watford DC Line, which opened in 1910. The area also served the London Overground and London Underground services, making it a critical crossroads for London’s transport network. The scale of operations at Willesden was immense. A Wikipedia entry for Willesden Junction reveals that in 1896, the station issued over a million passenger tickets and employed a staff of 271. This included 79 porters, 58 shunters and yard foremen, and 58 signalmen who worked across 14 different signal boxes. The particular structure shown on the poster, the Willesden No 7 box, was built in 1893. These signal boxes were the nerve centres of the railway, controlling the flow of traffic that kept the country moving. While the era of these original signal boxes has passed, their legacy is preserved in art like the Willesden No 7 box poster. The LMS Carriage Window Poster Series This stunning Willesden No 7 box poster was produced by the London Midland & Scottish Railway (LMS) and was originally printed in Great Britain by McCorquodale & Co. Limited around 1925. It was part of an innovative and celebrated series of posters known as the ‘LMS’s Carriage Window series’. The concept behind the series was to illustrate real, captivating views that passengers could enjoy from the windows of their train carriages during their journeys. Norman Wilkinson, a renowned marine artist who turned his hand to railway posters, was a key contributor to this series. His other notable works in the collection included the  Menai Straits Tubular Bridge poster, the Sheffield Steel Works poster, and his Mersey from Runcorn Bridge poster. Each poster, including the Willesden No 7 box poster, served as both an advertisement for the railway and a beautiful work of art, encouraging people to travel and explore the sights of Great Britain. The series remains a testament to the golden age of rail travel and the power of great graphic design. This vintage railway poster is more than just a historical artefact; it’s a window into an era of grand engineering and romantic travel. Owning a reproduction of the Willesden No 7 box poster allows you to bring a piece of this rich history into your home. Its timeless design and compelling story make it a perfect addition to any collection, appealing to both railway history enthusiasts and lovers of vintage art.