It was a dark and stormy night when Epetruk wrote
in article ...
Anyone know what murals there are on the Victoria Line, and what they mean?

The ones I know of a

- Brixton - heap of bricks (i.e. a ton of bricks, or Brickston. Not very
imaginative)

- Stockwell - If I remember rightly, lots of zigzag lines. Not sure what
this means.

A stylised swan, isn't it?

- Vauxhall - something like leaves growing on a trellis. Again, nswtm.

- Pimlico - a grid with yellow circles in each square in the grid. Nswtm.

Supposedly a piece of abstract art, to reflect the Tate Gallery.

- Victoria - a silhouette of Queen Victoria (I presume).

- Green Park - some leaves (probably from trees in Green Park)

- Oxford Circus - snakes and ladders. I heard that this is supposed to
signify the confusion one encounters when changing from line to line here
(since there are three lines that intersect here).

- Warren Street - a maze - just as confusing as a rabbit warren, I guess.

- Euston - I think this has something like a portico. Nswtm.

The old portico from Euston overground station.

- King's Cross St. Pancras - a crown with a cross underneath. Fairly
obvious.

- Highbury and Islington - I haven't been here in ages - I think it has two
pistols crossed. If so, nswtm.

Highbury was just outside the old city boundaries, and so people used to
go and fight duels there.

- Finsbury Park - I think this has a balloon, but I'm not sure, and I'm
nswtm either.

This is a mistake by LU; they thought balloons used to be launched here,
but in fact it was from Finsbury Pavement near Moorgate.

- Seven Sisters - I think this has seven trees which I think represent seven
trees that really did exist at one point and were called 'Seven Sisters'.

- Tottenham Hale - no idea.

A ferry boat, from the Lea ferry.

- Blackhorse Road - I think this has a black horse.

- Walthamstow Central - no idea.

A William Morris design; he was local.



--
Grebbsy McLaren

"Grebbsy McLaren" wrote in message
...
It was a dark and stormy night when Epetruk wrote
in article ...

- Finsbury Park - I think this has a balloon, but
I'm not sure, and I'm nswtm either.

This is a mistake by LU; they thought balloons used to be launched
here, but in fact it was from Finsbury Pavement near Moorgate.

I thought it was the contracted artist rather than LU who made the mistake.

The last time I was at FP (a couple of years ago), the balloon murals were
on the Piccadilly line platforms, and the duelling pistols were on the
Victoria Line platforms. I always thought that having different murals on
different lines is absurd - the mural is supposed to be a station identifier
for the illiterate, and so should be the same on all platforms at any one
station.

--
John Rowland - Spamtrapped
Transport Plans for the London Area, updated 2001
http://www.geocities.com/Athens/Acro...69/tpftla.html
A man's vehicle is a symbol of his manhood.
That's why my vehicle's the Piccadilly Line -
It's the size of a county and it comes every two and a half minutes

"John Rowland" wrote in message
...

I just remembered this...

http://www.geocities.com/Athens/Acro...or.html#Motifs


--
John Rowland - Spamtrapped
Transport Plans for the London Area, updated 2001
http://www.geocities.com/Athens/Acro...69/tpftla.html
A man's vehicle is a symbol of his manhood.
That's why my vehicle's the Piccadilly Line -
It's the size of a county and it comes every two and a half minutes

"John Rowland" wrote:

I just remembered this...

http://www.geocities.com/Athens/Acro...or.html#Motifs

I guess that the tile motifs ("murals" is probably not the right word) at a
third station now need changing. Those at Pimlico symbolised the "modern
art" collection at the nearby Tate Gallery. However, a few years ago the
Tate opened a second London site at Bankside, and the entire modern art
collection moved there (Tate Modern). The original Tate Gallery was
rechristened Tate Britain, and houses more traditional British landscapes.
So, the modernism of the yellow blobs at Pimlico is now a little
inappropriate.

On the other hand, quite a number of the other stations' motifs represent
historic scenes. Modern art is now part of Pimlico's history. So perhaps
the motifs there are appropriate after all!



MetroGnome

MetroGnome wrote:
"John Rowland" wrote:

I just remembered this...

http://www.geocities.com/Athens/Acro...or.html#Motifs

I guess that the tile motifs ("murals" is probably not the right
word) at a third station now need changing. Those at Pimlico
symbolised the "modern art" collection at the nearby Tate Gallery.
However, a few years ago the Tate opened a second London site at
Bankside, and the entire modern art collection moved there (Tate
Modern). The original Tate Gallery was rechristened Tate Britain,
and houses more traditional British landscapes. So, the modernism
of the yellow blobs at Pimlico is now a little inappropriate.

Tate Britain is not exclusively for "traditional British landscapes".
For example, it currently has two exhibitions in the "Art Now" series by
living artists, Michael Fullerton and Enrico David. It also houses the
annual exhibition of works by artists shortlisted for the Turner Prize
(this year from 18 October). So a modern art motif at Pimlico is still
appropriate.
--
Richard J.
(to e-mail me, swap uk and yon in address)

In message , Richard J.
writes

Tate Britain is not exclusively for "traditional British landscapes".
For example, it currently has two exhibitions in the "Art Now" series by
living artists, Michael Fullerton and Enrico David. It also houses the
annual exhibition of works by artists shortlisted for the Turner Prize
(this year from 18 October). So a modern art motif at Pimlico is still
appropriate.

It is certainly not inappropriate, but does nobody know the origin of
the word "Pimlico"? It apparently goes back to at least 1626 and sounds
somewhat exotic, so could it perhaps suggest some other motif?

For most of the 19th century the Millbank Penitentiary stood on what was
later to become Tate & Lyle's art gallery - but I suspect that
tile-designers do not want to commemorate its distinctive octagonal
shape any more than they might want to portray the Tyburn gallows on the
tiles of Marble Arch station.

--
Paul Terry

In message , Paul Terry
writes
It is certainly not inappropriate, but does nobody know the origin of
the word "Pimlico"? It apparently goes back to at least 1626 and sounds
somewhat exotic, so could it perhaps suggest some other motif?

There are at least four different theories about how Pimlico managed to
get its slightly unusual name, which was first recorded, as "Pimplico",
in 1630.

One is that it was named after the Pamlico, a tribe of Red Indians whose
timber, exported to London, used to be landed nearby.

A second is that it refers to a local drink, the recipe for which has
been long lost.

The third is that it refers to the friar bird which was once seen
locally.

But perhaps the most plausible is that it recalls one Ben Pimlico, a
brewer from Hoxton who developed a popular "nut browne" ale in the 17th
century and which was sold here. There is indeed a Pimlico Walk in
Hoxton.

Plenty of scope for a tile design there, I should think! :-)
--
Ian Jelf, MITG
Birmingham, UK

Registered Blue Badge Tourist Guide for London and the Heart of England
http://www.bluebadge.demon.co.uk

On Tue, 19 Jul 2005, MetroGnome wrote:

"John Rowland" wrote:

I just remembered this...

http://www.geocities.com/Athens/Acro...or.html#Motifs

I guess that the tile motifs ("murals" is probably not the right word) at a
third station now need changing. Those at Pimlico symbolised the "modern
art" collection at the nearby Tate Gallery. However, a few years ago the
Tate opened a second London site at Bankside, and the entire modern art
collection moved there (Tate Modern). The original Tate Gallery was
rechristened Tate Britain, and houses more traditional British landscapes.
So, the modernism of the yellow blobs at Pimlico is now a little
inappropriate.

On the other hand, quite a number of the other stations' motifs
represent historic scenes. Modern art is now part of Pimlico's history.
So perhaps the motifs there are appropriate after all!

I think we should redesignate Pimlico's motif as a reference to the
confusing but pretty motifs found on the London Underground's Victoria
line.

tom

--
10 PARTY : GOTO 10

In article , John Rowland
writes
"John Rowland" wrote in message
...

I just remembered this...

http://www.geocities.com/Athens/Acro...or.html#Motifs


D'oh. I knew I had a proper reference somewhere - I have a copy of the
LT golden jubilee book with the original poster in...

--
Steve
-----BEGIN GEEK CODE BLOCK-----
Version: 3.1
GCM/B$ d++(-) s+:+ a+ C++ UL++ L+ P+ W++ N+++ K w--- O V
PS+++ PE- t+ 5++ X- R* tv+ b+++ DI++ G e h---- r+++ z++++
------END GEEK CODE BLOCK------

John Rowland wrote:
"Grebbsy McLaren"
...

- Finsbury Park - I think this has a balloon, but
I'm not sure, and I'm nswtm either.


This is a mistake by LU; they thought balloons used to be launched
here, but in fact it was from Finsbury Pavement near Moorgate.


I thought it was the contracted artist rather than LU who made the mistake.

The last time I was at FP (a couple of years ago), the balloon murals were
on the Piccadilly line platforms, and the duelling pistols were on the
Victoria Line platforms. I always thought that having different murals on
different lines is absurd - the mural is supposed to be a station identifier
for the illiterate, and so should be the same on all platforms at any one
station.

AIUI The balloon murals precede the Victoria Line - 2 of the adjoining
platforms were originally the Piccadilly Line and the other 2 the
Northern line into Moorgate. I haven't been there for a while but I
suspect they are on the platforms of one adjacent platforms.