The proud city: A new view of The Tower of London across Water lane

British Second World War poster by Walter E Spradbery DCM (1889 - 1969). One in a series called ' The Proud City' commissioned by London Transport in 1944 to boost the morale of the travelling public. The series celebrates London's survival of the Blitz and features views of 6 iconic London buildings, based on photographs supplied to the artist by London Transport. They appealed to commuters sense of pride over, and common ownership of, several prominent London public landmarks to remind them what they were fighting for. Spradbery designed poster for London Transport from 1912 - 1944 and this was his last series.

This poster depicts a new view of the Tower of London. The image takes up the whole of the top two thirds of the poster. It shows the Tower of London in the background and pink flowers blooming in the ruined buildings of water lane in the foreground. The image is painterly and framed with a white border. Title text is at the top and beneath the image and a quotation by William Harrison Ainsworth (1805 - 1882, English historical novelist, quote taken from his fourth work ' Tower of London' written chiefly with the aim of generating interest in the historical associations of the Tower) is printed lower right. The London Transport logo is prominently located lower left in white. Both image and text are set against a mauve background.