Southern Railway Publicity
Miscellaneous
Handbills
Hung by pieces of string, hooked over a nail, the humble handbill informed travellers of every sort of journey. Day trips to the seaside, cheap trips to town or holidays on the Continent, these cheap advertisements adorned booking halls for many years. Produced on poor quality paper it is surprising any have survived, some for over 80 years, to appear here. I have deliberately not patched up the images, to remove the tears from the tops of some where they were torn from the string or tried to correct the faded areas. That's part of their character.
|
|
|
|
1 January 1923 |
1 January 1923 |
1 January 1923 |
1 January 1923 |
|
|
|
|
18 April 1923 |
25 May 1923 |
25 May 1923 |
1 June 1923 |
|
|
|
|
17 June 1923 |
19 June 1923 |
25 June 1923 |
25 June 1923 |
|
|
|
|
4 July 1923 |
7 October 1923 |
7 April 1924 |
18 June 1924 |
|
|
|
|
19 June 1924 |
19 July 1924 |
7 June 1928 |
18 October 1928 |
|
|
|
|
30 October 1928 |
18 April 1934 |
2 May 1935 |
2 June 1935 |
|
|
|
|
27 April 1937 |
25 June 1938 |
19 May 1939 |
14 June 1939 |
|
|
|
|
4 October 1946 |
|
|
|
|
|
20 April 1923 Unusually produced in landscape format |
|
Timetables
|
|
|
|
January 1855 LSWR |
February 1926 |
June 1928 |
July 1930 |
|
|
|
|
July 1938 |
January 1940 |
January 1940 |
June 1947 |
|
|
|
|
October 1947 |
June 1950 BR |
|
|
Suburban Timetables
|
|
|
|
May 1931 |
July 1931 |
September 1931 |
February 1932 |
|
|
|
|
July 1932 |
September 1932 |
January 1933 |
May 1933 |
|
|
|
|
July 1933 |
September 1933 |
January 1934 |
May 1934 |
|
|
|
|
July 1934 |
October 1934 |
January 1935 |
April 1935 |
|
|
|
|
July 1935 |
September 1935 |
July 1937 |
April 1938 |
Special Timetables
Often when lines were electrified special timetables were produced to advertise the new services.
|
|
|
|
July 1933 |
October 1934 |
January 1935 |
July 1935 |
|
|
|
|
July 1937 |
September 1937 |
May 1938 |
July 1938 |
|
|
|
|
January 1939 |
May 1939 |
July 1939 |
July 1939 |
|
|
|
|
May 1941 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
July 1934 |
|
|
|
Public Relations
|
The Southern Railway Magazine for November 1925 states.
A booklet on entirely novel lines, Tales of the Trains has been issued by the Publicity Department and dispatched to season-ticket holders, Mayors, and Chairmen of Chambers of Commerce. All who have read it have been struck with the skill and humour which the author, Mr. E. P. Leigh-Bennett, has displayed, and the excellence of the illustrations. It is the first time a railway “behind the scenes” has been described to the public and we are sure it will be invaluable in building up goodwill for the Southern Railway. |
|
1925 |
|
1929 |
What the Southern Railway started in 1925 continues to this day with the TOCs producing passenger magazines.
Over the Points
First published in March 1929 Over The Points was sent to First Class ticket holders by the Southern Railway “to keep them informed of the measures it is
taking to combat the many problems which confront it”. EP Leigh-Bennett wrote the 35 editions published until October 1937. EP Leigh-Bennett had died
on July 2nd 1937 so as well as one article written by him the 35th edition contained his obituary and some of the letters the Southern Railway had received
about his work.
Editions 36 to 44 were written by Michael Gifford covering the period January 1938 until April 1940.
The Southern Railway was very conscious of the difficulties it had providing the services its customers expected. The 1925 book Tales of the Trains,
also written by EP Leigh-Bennett, had tried to show passengers the difficulties that existed in running a large railway system. Over The Points, as well as
explaining the reasons for difficulties, listed the new work that the Southern was undertaking and also included typical statistics to impress passengers with its
success. For example, in 1939 733506 passengers were dealt with daily at all the Southern Railway London termini.
The letters published in the 35th edition show that the aim to ‘win over’ the Southern Railway traveller had had some success.
|
|
|
|
|
|
Issue 1 March 1929 |
Issue 2 June 1929 |
Issue 3 September 1929 |
Issue 4 December 1929 |
Issue 5 March 1930 |
Issue 6 June 1930 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Issue 7 September 1930 |
Issue 8 December 1930 |
Issue 9 March 1931 |
Issue 10 June 1931 |
Issue 11 September 1931 |
Issue 12 December 1931 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Issue 13 March 1932 |
Issue 14 June 1932 |
Issue 15 September 1932 |
Issue 16 December 1932 |
Issue 17 March 1933 |
Issue 18 July 1933 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Issue 19 September 1933 |
Issue 20 December 1933 |
Issue 21 March 1934 |
Issue 22 June 1934 |
Issue 23 September 1934 |
Issue 24 December 1934 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Issue 25 March 1935 |
Issue 26 June 1935 |
Issue 27 September 1935 |
Issue 28 December 1935 |
Issue 29 March 1936 |
Issue 30 June 1936 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Issue 31 September 1936 |
Issue 32 December 1936 |
Issue 33 March 1937 |
Issue 34 June 1937 |
Issue 35 October 1937 |
Issue 36 January 1938 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Issue 37 April 1938 |
Issue 38 July 1938 |
Issue 39 October 1938 |
Issue 40 January 1939 |
Issue 41 April 1939 |
Issue 42 July 1939 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Issue 43 January 1940 |
Issue 44 April 1940 |
|
|
|
|
|