LONDON UNDERGROUND HISTORY

Charing Cross station history
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Charing Cross station was completely rebuilt in the 1970s and 1980s, with the arrival of the Jubilee line. As part of this renovation, each platform featured designs that reflected the local area.

The Northern line platforms feature artwork by David Gentleman. His woodcuts depict workers constructing Eleanor Crosses. These structures were erected to mark the stops of the procession that escorted the body of Queen Eleanor of Castile from Nottinghamshire to her burial location in Westminster Abbey.

One of these crosses was located near the current site of Trafalgar Square. A replica of that cross was installed above this station in 1865.

The Bakerloo line platforms feature reproductions of artwork from the nearby National Gallery and National Portrait Gallery. The panels here were designed by Richard Dragun. The now-disused Jubilee line platforms feature photographs of Nelson’s Column in Trafalgar Square, along with a few images of the pigeons that frequently flock there.

[Images]
1979: The Prince of Wales officially opened the Jubilee line on 30 April 1979. He is pictured on the Northern line platforms with artist David Gentleman
1992: The Jubilee line platforms feature photographs of Nelson’s Column, along with the pigeons of Trafalgar Square
2021 (top): David Gentleman’s work features woodcut images of the masons, carvers and other workers responsible for the construction of the Eleanor Crosses. These designs extend along the entire platform with a few hidden above the track
2021 (bottom): The Bakerloo line platforms feature reproductions famous artworks in nearby museums . These include the National Portrait Gallery’s 1604 portrait of the Somerset House Conference, seen at the left of the photograph here

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© TFL courtesy of the London Transport Museum

A venture of the City of London, Transport For London, and the London’s Transport Museum. In this project, which is usually located in the subway stations, a sign is displayed on each platform with the history of the current train station, or a page in the history of the London Underground. The signs are next to the other signs with train line maps or advertisements.

The current sign is located at Charing Cross Station with a historical description of the station and especially the design of the station platforms.

The station where the sign was taken was photographed that day (Bakerloo line, where pictures from the nearby museums are on the platform - in the attached picture, Botticelli’s famous painting: Mars and Venus in the National Gallery) Click for a larger image

The platforms of the Northern line, including the paintings of David Gentleman, appear on the website Click for sign's details, Click for sign's details

Another sign with a historical description of the station is on another platform Click for sign's details