Seeing it Through - Thank you, Mrs Porter...

British Second World War poster features a female underground railway porter, in uniform, waving off a departing train. Beneath the image is 3 stanzas of poerty by A.P Herbert. This is one of a series of posters commissioned by London Transport which combines portraits by Eric Henri Kennington (b.12 march 1888 d. 13 April 1960. British artist, sculptor and an official war artist during both wars) and poetry or quotations from British writers. Each poster features a portrait of an member of the London Transport workforce and alludes to the heroicised notion that by doing their daily work, these people in their commonplace occupations are 'seeing it through' that is, helping the war effort.

Elsie Birrell, a porter at Stockwell Tube station was the subject for this poster. She was one of the first female porters recruited by London Transport in 1940. The painting was based on a photograph although Elsie Birrell did modell in person on one occasion.

Kennington's Second World War portraits are distinctive for their use of intense colours and heroic style. During the Second World War Kennington was personally commissioned to do work for the Ministry of Information by Edwin Embleton. Darracott and Loftus describe how in both wars "his drawings and letters show him to be an admirer of the heroism of ordinary men and women", an admiration which is particularly notable in the poster series "Seeing it Through".