The London Traveler

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.

LT: When did you first encounter the Routemaster bus? How far back does your fascination with it go?

RO: I first saw the Routemaster on TV at my parents’ house in Staufen, on the edge of the Black Forest. I was 12 or 13 years old.

LT: How did the project for Last Stop get started?

RO: I’m a founding member of photodebut, which was set up in 2002 as a collective for emerging photographers. At photodebut I became friends with Maxine Beuret and jet. it was at one of our monthly photodebut get togethers (at the time at the agency in Charlotte Road, east London) Maxine informed us that the routemasters were going to be phased out by the end of 2005. Jet, Max and myself then realised that we shared a strong common interest for the routemaster, so we decided to create a tribute of this london icon. We split the project into three. Maxine concentrated on still life photography of the exterior and interior design elements of the routemaster, jet documented the drivers and conductors at the 19 and 38 depots (in Hackney and Battersea), and I photographed en route (passengers, drivers, conductors) and still life imagery of the interior and exterior design elements.

From the start I had the idea of a book in my mind. I had a pretty clear idea how i wanted the book to look and be. Then I researched some routemaster photography books that were to date available. I found out that there were quite few out there, however none in the form I felt I wanted to create.

Due to restricted time, Maxine unfortunately had to end her involvement as she was also shooting her own personal project ‘the departure of the slam door trains’. jet and I continued until the last day of the rm, 9th december 2005. jet was happy with the last stop website which we created together with emotional designers. in 2005 www.routemasters.co.uk was archived by the British Library in the interest of national heritage. With jet’s blessing i went the last mile alone and created the Last Stop book and exhibition (which is currently on show at London Transport Museum until 26th July). Once the project was completed i started to approach potential publishers, exhibition spaces (galleries & museums) and sponsors. London Transport Museum provided me with the home for Last Stop. The museum has been very supportive of the project. We worked well together on the marketing and PR, and the museum provided the exhibition space for free and also organised various routemaster related events (see www.ltmuseum.co.uk) to support the exhibition and book.

LT: I really liked the depot pictures. What sort of response did you get from drivers and conductors?

RO: The main body of work of drivers and conductors in the depot were photographed by jet. Again with jet’s blessing, i was happy that we also could show some of her depot pictures in the book.

The responses were great. We spent several days and weeks in the Hackney and Battersea depots. We created a relationship with the staff who I think were happy and proud to be part of Last Stop, which really was a labour of love project to us.

LT: Did you get a feel for how drivers, conductors and passengers viewed the change to the new buses?

RO: I felt the overall view was that most drivers and conductors really loved the routemasters and their job on them. There was a strong sense of social togetherness that I could feel amongst the drivers and conductors. Having spent 18 months on route I could witness the abuse and joy they were exposed to, especially the conductors. I obtained the sense that many of the passengers (especially the elderly, women and visitors) felt quite safe on the routemasters, because there was a conductor on board.

LT: What other London icons appeal to you?

RO: The people at the gutterslut parties, the architecture of the old East End, the people that run the last family businesses of the East End, the red phone boxes.

LT: Many thanks Ralf! I hope to see more of your photos – we both share a love of the old East End.

Photo credit: ‘Hopping off’ copyright Ralf Obergfell

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