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EDWARD JOHNSTON, HENRY BECK, AND
THE LONDON UNDERGROUND
UNDERGROUND TYPEFACE
London, United Kingdom
Edward Johnston (1872–1944), Designer
San José, Uruguay
1916
In 1908, Frank Pick (1878–1941) was appointed
publicity officer for the London Underground
and in the following two decades drastically
improved its overall visual appearance, adver-
tising, and public information system. During
his tenure, he commissioned some of the most
influential artists and designers of the modern
era, including renowned British typographer
Edward Johnston (1872–1944), who designed
the system’s famous roundel symbol (1918) and
its unifying typeface. This typeface, ...