Through the Window

This is the third in a short series of trackside guides. ‘Through the Window’ was published in 1924 by the Great Western Railway (GWR) to encourage passengers to take an interest in the wonderful things to be seen from the train on a journey from Paddington to Penzance. Apologies for the less than pristine cover, a view of St. Michael’s Mount, but the conservative character of GWR graphics and publicity can be clearly seen. Inside the book the text is accompanied by reproductions of etchings by a number of different artists of which this view of Paddington Station is the best. Compared with the LNER (and to a lesser extent, the SR), the GWR was unadventurous in terms of design and not so successful in developing a house style. It would be unfair to be over critical of their efforts since they did employ the services of Edward McKnight Kauffer on a regular basis. Please click here to see a well known example.