Robert
Forsythe Transport and Industrial Heritage Historian and Consultant
A
JOY TO BEHOLD: BRITISH RAILWAYS’ PUBLICITY 1948-1997
A
Synopsis for a study by R N Forsythe M.A. Dip.I.A. Cert.Ed.
Chapter One: British
Railways Publicity
Introduces: publicity/ephemera
in general (definitions); the background to BR in 1948; attempts to create an
image and the process of modernisation; the arrival of Beeching and the Corporate
Image; political change in the 1980’s and the advent of business sectors; BR publicity
in the post corporate image era; the final frenetic moves to privatisation. Explain
no tickets/ posters/ postcards, which are well covered elsewhere.
Detail the structure
of the advertising departments. Describe the artists and printers used, the practice
of ‘signing’ and not signing items. The significance of the material to students
of railway/social history and design is flagged. It is a vastly neglected archive
source with immense display/illustrative potential, which typically falls between
the interests of librarian/ archivist/ curator. A reference to what little secondary
sources exists is made. This has to give some detail to ‘The Monotype Recorder
Volume 41 Number 2 Spring 1958’. In the history of all commercial publicity, this
review by Christian Barman of the rationale behind BTC publicity is seminal, philosophically
and artistically. It also refers to the BTC’s own collection, an outstanding missing
treasure of modern times that this magazine is a fragment of. That is the scene
setting and overview chapter.
Chapter Two: The
British Railways Timetable and Maps
Looks at the regional
books, and the later all line timetable, together with their associated maps.
This is the foundation stone of the subject. It may sound here a bit dull, they
are just large heavy books, but there is a lot more life to it.It builds on the
verdict Roger Burdett Wilson (chronicler of Great Western Railway publicity) famously
gave: ‘The history of railway timetables, an intricate and fascinating subject
has yet to be written’. I do have a catalogue of the issues and the vast majority
of the actual timetables. No-one has ever published a catalogue of these, which
is actually one of the most basic sources for railway history. Points out how
some maps included freight services. Many of the maps issued solo are very attractive
and a cartographic collection is an entity in itself.
Chapter Three:
Pocket timetables
This takes the vast
array of free giveaways. It must stress the pre 1965 regional styles, the effects
of corporate image and its abolition. Attention must be given to special collecting
areas like Paytrain schemes, dieselisations/electrification, sector and TOU/TOC
branded material. The three main categories must be explained. These are small
books derived from the main timetable, timetable folders, and glossy promotional
leaflets . Oddities and transitional pieces like special LMR electrification logos,
or rail/coach links should get a mention. The notion of being able to show how
one line’s style can be traced over 40 years e.g. Newcastle-Liverpool could be
illustrated. The recent changes which have created a total revolution are explained.
Particular attention may be merited by the very short lived images of the 1990s.
Inter City East Coast is a classic case in point.
Chapter Four:
The Leisure Machine
To look at the supporting
advertising literature. Pre-corporate image imperial gloss set against the lavatory
paper handbill. This would use material like the famous area guides against simple
handbills for football trains. Holiday material would get attention (camping coaches,
Wakes excursions, WR holidays trains, today’s Holidaymaker leaflets, the Skegness
‘Jolly Fisherman’ excursion). The advent of corporate image and then business
sectors each had its effect. National publicity became common in the 1960’s and
70’s with one leaflet style used across the country. Sectors have created their
own outstanding literature be it Scotrail or NSE.
Again, the idea of
charting one theme over the years could be taken, such as the Scottish excursions
to Blackpool or the Freedom of Scotland rover ticket. Rover literature ought to
be a significant aspect.
Chapter Five:
Of Tickets and Seasons
A chapter break could
come between ‘holiday/excursions’ material which is an enormous field, and the
more workaday travel promotions, line closing/opening material, railcards/season
tickets etc. This section would be ephemera charting the run of the mill evolution
of the railway. There would be the mundane (autumn leaf leaflets), the riduculous
(BR’s worst leaflet), the sad (closure notice), and the outstanding ( Blue Pullman
and Intercity Pullman brochures).
Chapter Six: BR
over the Sea
The railway was a
major maritime force. This has produced an outstanding quantity and quality of
literature. Work around the country with Caledonian Steam Packet on the Clyde
- the beloved paddlers. Go through the Irish Sea, and then to the Cross Channel
services, before a mention of the oddities like the Gravesend or Humber ferries,
and the Windermere services. There will be ample illustration of ships with a
great enthusiast following. Indeed this chapter could be a book in itself. Sealink
and Seaspeed will also be examined.
An area should also
go to the extensive series of international timetables BR has published which
have a tradition of good artwork. This heading might also embrace BR’s marketing
of itself overseas which can be illustrated.
Chapter Seven:
Not for the passenger
Internal material:
The Rule Books, Operating Instructions, Sectional Appendixes, Working Timetables,
Internal Staff ephemera and magazines. Much will only be briefly outlined. A key
distinction will be needed between operational documents (which are not publicity
(so the rulebooks)) and what is more accurately regarded as publicity like the
extensive house magazines, so ‘Railnews’.
A mention of freight,
otherwise hardly touched, must be made. This can select from train ferry material/
Green Arrow/ Freightliner/ Speedlink/ Parcels literature. It would be well worth
sourcing further freight publicity notwithstanding the accompanying challenge.
Material for the shortlived 1990s companies will become most unusual. BR recruitment
literature and technical leaflets on individual trains could be used to emphazise
the sheer scope of the subject.
Chapter Eight:
Money Well Spent?
If the information
can be sourced (a big if) some attempt at assessing the commercial success of
all the diverse strategies employed could be made. Did national campaigns justify
their investment? Was marketing best done locally or centrally? Can successful
marketing campaigns and those that failed be identified and explained? Attention
could be given to the critical reception that was afforded to the Corporate Image
Manual (itself a staggering piece of internal publicity) and this could involve
the verdict of the Danish Design Council in ‘British Rail Design’. In 1986 the
whole was judged as a stunning achievement of European signifcance.
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