General joy

This poster was issued by the London General Omnibus Company. Vera Willoughby (died 1939) was a watercolour painter and illustrator, as well as a costume and poster designer. The design in this poster emphasises the joyous combination of speed, freedom and sunshine on a summer-day excursion on London's open-topped double-decker buses. Willoughby's work was inspired by 18th century decoration and influenced by Art Deco. But she was also a keen observer of the contemporary social scene and its fashions.

Poster · United Kingdom · 1928. Colour lithograph on paper. By Willoughby, Vera. Victoria and Albert Museum, London.