London’s Transport Museum is currently hosting a new temporary exhibition celebrating the world famous Routemaster bus.
Running until 27th July Last Stop features photographs by Ralf Obergfell capturing moments during the Routemasters’ final eighteen months of regular service and also social portraits of staff and passengers.
The majority of photos were taken on routes 19 and 38, running from Finsbury Park in the north and Hackney in the east through the heart of the West End and on to Knightsbridge and Chelsea.
German-born Obergfell says he was first drawn to London ever since he saw a Routemaster on television in his teens. He was struck by the bright red, the curves and the powerful design. He said, “Last Stop is not an exercise in protest, or even nostalgia; it is a tribute to the unique and dynamic role the Routemaster played in London life”.
Entrance to the exhibition is included in the Museum’s standard ticket price. A book to accompany the exhibition is also available from the Museum and online.
Forthcoming exhibitions at the museum include:
London Underground advertising through the ages – 15th August to 1st October 2008
The art of the poster – a century of design for London’s transport – 17th October 2008 to March 2009
