Routemaster revived
Whether or not you approve of Boris Johnson’s idea of reviving the Routemaster bus, it’s an icon of London in a way that the Bendy Bus can never be. From postwar films to London Transport posters, it’s stamped its image on our consciousness.
Now the London Transport Museum is commemorating the iconic bus in an exhibition of photographcs by German artist Ralph Obergfell. He took photos of the buses during their last eighteen months of public service, before they were phased out on normal routes.
There’s a lovely mix of photos. Some show details of the buses; the graphics, the seats, the curves of the radiator housing, the seams and rivets. But other photos show the passengers, the bus drivers and conductors at the depot – the vivid colour and patterning eye is still there, but there’s something more documentary and more human about these photos.
If you’re planning to visit the Transport Museum, do it before the end of July so you can fit in Last Stop, with its glorious photos. Or alternatively, look at the pictures on the web.
Where: Covent Garden Piazza
When: Sunday to Tuesday 10.00 to 18.30
Wednesday, Thursday and Saturday; 10.00 to 19.00
Friday 11.00 to 21.00
How much: Museum ticket £10 adult, £6 student, under-16s free
Photo credit: Franck Dethier on Flickr
2 Comments
Routemasters are part of London. They definitely should remain on the streets.
Of course, we need newer buses too, especially for the disabled, but they are such an icon.
The Swiss manage to keep their steamships going for 80-100 years, and they are still immaculate. It’s worth it just for the tourist market.
[...] Following my report on ‘Last Stop’, Ralf Obergfell’s exhibition of photographs on the last eighteen months of the Routemaster’s service for London Transport, I had the chance to interview the photographer about his work. [...]