A time capsule of vintage 1950s posters has come to light in a disused passageway in Notting Hill Gate tube station.
OK. It’s not quite the same as the opening of Tutankhamen’s tomb, but for me London Underground has unearthed a visual treasure trove.
Discovered in an old lift passageway during recent modernisation work on the station, the 50-year-old posters include advertisements for the Ideal Home Exhibition and Pepsodent toothpaste, and a clutch of evocative film posters, including these striking designs promoting two British comedies released in 1959.
Too Many Crooks: A bungling gang of inept crooks kidnaps a millionaire's wife (Brenda de Banzie), but when husband Terry-Thomas refuses to pay the ransom, she throws in her lot with the crooks.
The Horse’s Mouth: Chosen for the 1959 Royal Film Performance, this satirical comedy based on the novel by Joyce Cary stars Alec Guinness as a roguish painter newly released from prison.
The posters are inaccessible to the public, but you can see a selection of the posters on this flickr set uploaded by Mike Ashworth, London Underground’s Design and Heritage Manager.
