Weird Roundels on the London Underground

[@briancjohnson]

My Mom is a book designer who was one of the first folks who transitioned from letterpress to digital. So I deeply appreciate your typeface/font discourse. Bravo!

[@Taschenschieber]

I've always been a bit too lazy to actually look it up so it's nice to find out what the difference actually is.

[@iainhunneybell]

👍

[@davidcronan4072]

I once saw Peter Ustinov tell a story of when his Russian grandmother first travelled by train from Dover to London , she couldn't understand why every station she travelled through was called "Bovril".

[@petermarksteiner7754]

In Italy, you'll find that all stations are called Uscita or Sottopassaggio.

[@michaelmiller641]

Or the Russian who thought that the English word for station was vauxhall, as seen at vauxhall station so the Russian word for station is vauxhall

[@BlueTangWebSystems]

While Interrailing in the then Yugoslavia, we woke to a station called Izlaz. Took a while to realise Izlaz meant Exit and had to rush out of our sleeping bags and off the train before it headed off to the next station.

[@WerewolfLord]

@@michaelmiller641 Thanks for that. 🤣🤣 I'll now never forget the word вокзал.

[@cr10001]

@@michaelmiller641 There's quite a long story behind that. Вокзал (Vokzal) is a main station. Wayside stations are more often Станция (Stantsiya - hope I spelled that right). I kept seeing stations called Платформа (Platforma) or выход (vikhod - Exit)

[@fiveYqueue]

Fascinating! The roundel featured at West Brompton looks like it still bears shrapnel scars from air-raids in the war; only guessing. And despite having used St. James's Park I never knew that there was the other version St. James' Park also featured in station signage. Neither did I know that Pimlico had the only illuminated platform roundels; in fact all in all, this was a stonkingly GOOD broadcast and I must commend you fully for it.

[@watchmakersp9935]

Well the cemetery next to the station was bombed in WW2 so perhaps it was shrapnel (and plenty of damage still in the cemetery is visible).

[@fiveYqueue]

@@watchmakersp9935 That's interesting, thanks. The gouge out of the sign reminded me of the shrapnel damage to the First World War memorial plaque on Barrow-in-Furness railway station which was retrieved after the station buildings were wrecked by enemy action.

[@simonwinter8839]

Bob k Pimlico Station might be the only Station that still has illuminated roundels but originally all Victoria line stations had them.They were removed during refurbishment and somehow Pimlicos' remained. The video states that for financial reasons the other stations didn't receive them but this is not the case.They all originally had them but were subsequently removed.

[@fiveYqueue]

@@simonwinter8839 Thanks for that - I had seemed to recall similar illuminated signs elsewhere but had assumed that I was mistaken.

[@marcelwiszowaty1751]

@@simonwinter8839 I'm not sure this is entirely true because I understand that the northernmost stations (Tottenham Hale to Walthamstow Central) had signs which were illuminated from above. In fact I think that they probably still exist as such. Perhaps someone else knows for definite?

[@hyperdistortion2]

Add me to the “fascinated by the font/typeface distinction” crowd! Having commuted through St. James’ Park for a number of years, safe to say I have _views_ on the name there… Another fascinating video as always; great stuff.

[@scythal]

A really fun way to get the pedants fighting would be having the name St. James' Park in the roundel and St James's Park, slightly smaller, below St James' Park. Maybe you could reverse them with every sign.

[@john1703]

@@fiverZ Well Mr. fiverZ, as usual, it depends on what you were taught to use at school.

[@andrewgwilliam4831]

It's "James's" by traditional prescriptive grammar and ordinary usage. There is no sound reason to omit the second syllable.

[@andrewgwilliam4831]

@@fiverZ It most certainly is not "grammatically incorrect", and I'm fact it was the only accepted spelling for centuries. What it now is, is an old-fashioned orthographic convention that has been abandoned in the UK (but not in the US). From memory, the modern practice is referred to as "open punctuation" (although I'm open to be corrected on that).

[@cjmillsnun]

@@andrewgwilliam4831 true, but the grammatically correct spelling is James'

[@grahamwalker6395]

That was very interesting about fonts and typefaces, I was a printer specialist at Xerox and never knew that or considered there was a difference. You never stop learning new things.

[@georgepenn8922]

Founts not Fonts

[@grahamwalker6395]

@@georgepenn8922 Fount: a source of a desirable quality or commodity. "our courier was a fount of knowledge"

[@Krzyszczynski]

@@georgepenn8922 Krzyszczynska's Shorter Oxford gives both spellings equal status. 'Fount' seems to be the original, with 'font' more lately gaining ground through US influence. So in a bit of pushback, I'm going with 'fount' for the future.

[@johnm2012]

@@Krzyszczynski I mentioned in another thread. Fount is the original and current British spelling of the word. Font is the US spelling, which follows from the way it's pronounced (with a short "o", as Jago pronounced it). Compare with colour and color. There is another word that's also spelled "fount" but is pronounced like the beginning of "fountain" because they have a common source and similar meaning. There's also another word that's spelled font and pronounced with a short "o" that's a piece of church furniture in which babies are baptised. So if you're British your 12-point Gill Sans bold italic is a fount (pronounced like font), you are the fount (pronounced "fownt") of all knowledge and were baptised in a font. If you're American your category of typeface is a font, you are the fount of all knowledge and were baptized in a font (pronounced "font", "fownt", "font"). Anyone writing "font of all knowledge" is just wrong, unless they call a vertical jet of water a "fontain"!

[@adamcetinkent]

@@johnm2012 I'm a 33 year-old Brit and I've never heard it or seen it spelled "fount" o.O

[@conorlane1]

There's something very pleasing about the really old roundels being left in place undisturbed all those years. Although one usually doesn't even stop to notice them, there they stand as a reminder of and a connection to the London Underground's long and fascinating history.

[@ESmith-ik8vu]

The Johnston Railroad typeface is a true masterpiece. It's beautiful. And it is still unsurpassed in readability from a passing train at speed. That is so because mr Johnston designed the 'empty' space between the strokes of the letters with equal skill and attention as that, which he lavished upon the letters themselves.

[@rjjcms1]

Every inch a classic.

[@Alan-ln3ls]

Some forty or so years ago, one of the blue and white station name plates at Tooting Bec fell off, revealing the original name - Trinity Road - which had simply been covered over.

[@SimStream]

I was a bus driver at Tottenham Garage (AR). The entrance doors to the output office/public enquiries area are double doors with a giant roundel which are used for the door grab handle, it is in 2 halves, 1 half on each door and painted bus red, the bar in the roundel must be at least 3 - 4 feet long and made from really thick aluminium. I noticed towards the end of your video you came a bit close to being clobbered by the nearside front mirror arm of a bus, please be cautious about that and try not to get hit by one, the mirror itself will move quite easily, but its the mirror arm that will hurt as its very ridged and won't have much give in them. Stay safe :)

[@andrewgwilliam4831]

I was on a double-decker once that clipped a stationary single-decker, pulling the whole of the wing mirror mounting off. The driver seemed oblivious to what he'd done, even when it fell to the ground and wedged underneath the bus! He must've been deaf, blind, and stupid to behave like that. I'm guessing the mounting is designed to come off relatively easily if hit (obviously by something more substantial than a person!), so that the side of the bus is more or less left undamaged?

[@tattyshoesshigure5731]

Fascinating stuff, I particularly liked the bit about the Redbridge roundels colour reversal symbolising a ‘red bridge’! There’s an unusual tiled one inside Embankment station made out of white tiles which just has a thin embossed line creating the roundel, quite difficult to spot as it’s almost a ghost sign. East Finchley station has well disguised large roundel made from brickettes outside the station entrance which you can just about make out on Google maps satellite view.

[@johnm2012]

You can see the East Finchley one in Google Maps street view, too, along with one of the archers and the ex-LNER "eye" window, all from the same location on High Road.

[@crayzmarc]

Love the Heathrow Terminal 1 subtle reference and the distinction between font and type face. Thanks

[@londonundergroundfan1563]

What a great topic, I always marvelled at the design possibilities to represent all the London modes of transport with differently coloured roundels, recognisable as a set but different enough! Even though the TfL Rail one seemed a bit less creative and, well... like a placeholder ;)

[@Parlophonic]

You are the printers' ink to my baptismal font!! Bravo Mr Hazzard; a man after my own heart!

[@johnledingham852]

And another especially interesting tale from the tubes for this seventy five year old train buff, here in Brisbane, Qld., Australia. When I was fifteen, I left school as my mates went on to higher learning. I embarked on the trade of Signwriting. I entered into a five year apprenticeship. The styles of lettering, the layouts, the correct balance, the shading, the outlining. The average person doesn't appreciate the art and character involved in making a sign that appeals to the passer by. Back to the railways, and also the corporations. A good logo conveys a message, and brings repeat business. It win hearts, stirs emotions, and brings people together. And in my youth, it was all done by hand. Mind and hand cooperation. Now computers spit out the messages. Heartless machines. But please spare a thought for the old fashioned signwriter.

[@artistjoh]

As an old fashioned graphic designer who has experienced both world's I have to object. The computer is just as much a tool as a halftone screen, Letraset, airbrush, litho film, or any of the many analog tools we used to have to use. The tools are only ever as good as the person using it. I remember that back then we were up to our necks in unimaginative hacks, and today is no different. Back then there were those few genius creatives who did amazing things, and the same is true today with designers using computers. The Apple logo, designed on a computer, is just as powerful and effective as the 1908 Underground roundel that was no doubt designed via painting by hand using gouache on paper. The tools for making good design neither hinders, nor facilitates good design. Very clever and creative designers make the best design, no matter what tools they use, and which era they come from. It should be pointed out here, that the ideas at the foundation of modern design started in London with the establishment of the London School of Design at Somerset House in 1837, also known as the Government School of Design, and the Metropolitan School of Design, and since 1896 as the Royal College of Art. What we regard as the principles of good design, no matter how it is made, did not exist prior to the mid 19th century, which is why graphic design from earlier than that is so hard to read and parse. It was the hangovers from that earlier way of thinking about advertising design that required the distinctive look of the Underground roundel to be designed in 1908. And the roundel was very influential in demonstrating to company executives that simple, bold, modern design was more effective than the older ways of designing things.

[@oohkumar]

Thought duly spared. Thank you for your service!

[@einbaerchen2995]

There is an underground roundel on a platform at the underground station Wittenbergplatz in Berlin. It was a gift by London Transport at the time. (It's not a weird roundel per say but it is in a weird place)

[@barvdw]

Talking about LU logos elsewhere, the Metro de Madrid logo has a very clear resemblance to the Metropolitan Railway's Diamond logo, it's also a red diamond with a blue bar for the name or 'metro'.

[@delurkor]

"Who broke the printer?" "Don't look at me. It's Arial's font." I'll get my coat.

[@BarneyLeith]

Very interesting - it's all too easy to assume that all the roundels are the same, unless one looks carefully. I'm very happy that you made the correct distinction between "typeface" and "font".

[@andrewduffin9216]

I'm from Australia and I first visited the UK in 2016 as part of a holiday to Europe. That roundel at St Pancras was the first one I saw after arriving in London on the Eurostar from Paris. It was a dream realised travelling on the tube as I have had an interest in public transport since childhood.

[@bahnspotterEU]

A peculiar roundel missing from this video is that which was gifted to Berlin‘s Underground railways in 1952 as a 50th anniversary present. It‘s mounted on a wooden board and carries the name of the station “Wittenbergplatz” (Wittenberg Square), where it resides on a platform to this day. A nice underground railway cultural export you could say.

[@simonwinter8839]

A similar roundel, if it wasn't the same one,was on display at the bottom of the escalators at Victoria Station on the Victoria line for many years.I don't know where it went but it's not there now.

[@bahnspotterEU]

@@simonwinter8839 A roundel with the Berlin station name?

[@simonwinter8839]

@@bahnspotterEU That's correct.

[@adjevandaalen9601]

@@simonwinter8839 Geoff Marshall did a video about this one. Check it out.

[@simonwinter8839]

@@adjevandaalen9601 Will do,cheers.

[@birdbrain4445]

I love that some of those really old roundels are still up at some stations like Caledonian Road. A nice touch of history and character, there. Great video!

[@johnm2012]

Some years ago London Transport's lost property department ran a campaign using the roundel in which the ring was shown but the bar was missing. The caption went along the lines of "Lost something? Give us a *ring* or drop us a *line* ". Well, I found it amusing.

[@LarryJohnVA]

😂

[@jaakkomantyjarvi7515]

So apparently they are the best lost property department bar none. I'll get me coat.

[@johnm2012]

@@jaakkomantyjarvi7515 They run rings round other lost property departments.

[@nixmixes770]

You missed a very splendid variation of the Metropolitan diamond used for the clock at Willesden Green but only need to flick to the last video but one about the Jubilee line at 3.05mins to see it. When I saw it a few days ago it made me wonder whether you'd do a video on old roundels. At Holland Park, the enamel platform wall frieze with red Central line roundels (as used in nearly every central area station by the late 60's) was reinstated in the last refurbishment.

[@ianthomson9363]

Not everyone could make a video about roundels interesting (I think there's scope for something similar regarding RAF roundels), which is why I enjoy this channel. Information, things I didn't know, a villain to hiss every time he appears, and a splash of humour. Also sausages.

[@chazzyb8660]

Alfred de Rothschild had roundel flowerbeds at Halton, now RAF Halton, which was used in a huge - and very early - air and ground exercise. I have often wondered if the highly visible flowerbeds seen by pilots arriving to stay at the mansion had an effect on the then new RAF and its decision to use the roundel symbol. I am told not, but I have my suspicions.

[@rjjcms1]

@@chazzyb8660 I don't suppose any of those flowerbeds are still there? RAF Halton is not far from where I live so I could take a little trip there to see if I can spot them - if they'll let me in near enough.

[@chazzyb8660]

I made an extensive reply - but because it included a link (I'm guessing) it isn't showing up. There is a 1915 postcard on the Buckinghamshire Council's archive of old photos showing the flowerbeds in 1915, flanking the path leading down to the fountain, from the north front. The great event took place in 1913, a huge exercise moving across southern England, and bringing together many early models of plane from a variety of 'manufacturers' all over the country, perhaps with the motive of supplying the newly formed Flying Corps. Alfred de R was very keen to host the flyers at his home, and paid all their expenses. Cheekily, as I understand it, they also got the 'wages' and expenses they expected anyway! Still the pic shows the flowerbeds - with central urns - both in colour and black and white…

[@rjjcms1]

@@chazzyb8660 Thanks.

[@francisboyle1739]

We probably should be thankful we're not in the alternative reality where the Underground adopted the swastika as its logo.

[@isashax]

Love the roundel and the fact that it is so recognisable. Fantastic video, love this topic!

[@MrPeach71]

Outside Stringfellows, there is a tiny roundel in an airbrick almost at pavement level. The building was originally a Piccadilly Line substation dating from the 1930's.

[@brianparker663]

Harrow-on-the-Hill and a few top end Northern Line stations have ghostly roundels lurking under the platform number indicators.

[@b_altmann]

As a typographer I liked your differentiation between typeface and font. - The biggest three dimensional roundel is at Canary Wharf and quite impressive. At Covent Garden the filled in roundel used to be on a flat wall closer to the mouth of the tunnel, but then for some reason they took it and nailed it awkwardly right below the tiled lettering, ruining both in the process. Pity.

[@JamesCalbraith]

Johnston was an astonishingly modern typeface for the time. One of the first 'humanist' sans-serif typefaces, Latin capitals updated to 20th century.

[@RadioJonophone]

Gill Sans Serif predated Johnston by a few years. I'll bet he was influenced by it.

[@JamesCalbraith]

I don't think so - Gill was later, and was based on Johnston's

[@RadioJonophone]

@@JamesCalbraith You are right, I just looked it up. I had it the wrong way around in my fevered brain. Well spotted, sir.

[@solarsapphire7528]

Speaking of Sir Terry, there's a reference to the roundel in one of his books. In Thud, it's described that the dwarfs mark their mine entrances with a symbol of a circle with a horizontal bar through it.

[@Duececoupe]

In Stockholm it's a simple "T" for Tunnelbana....travelled many miles on that one! 👍🏻

[@highpath4776]

Manchesters grey dots on a yellow background for the trams are just stupid, nearly invisible

[@andrewdolinskiatcarpathian]

Symbolically one of my favourite episodes yet. As one of the few people still casting “lead type” in the UK (see my channel) I applaud you for the discourse on typefaces. Thank you sir 👌👏👏👍😀

[@stephensaines7100]

What goes a roundel, comes a roundel.

[@ZGryphon]

This takes me back in two different ways to when I minored in graphic design as an undergrad. My most influential professor had Very Strong Opinions about both typography and the branding of public entities (which are often bound tightly together, particularly in the case of transit services, with their need for extensive signage). The idea of finding an instantly identifiable theme and then varying it without losing the thread of it was very big with him, and I expect he'd find the fact that the Tube has had that going on for a century-plus very appealing (if, indeed, he doesn't already know about it and it just never came up in class).

[@steveosborne2297]

I don’t know what it’s like now because of all the changes in the roads around there , but the red bridge was on the old A12 a few hundred yards from the station where it crosses the river Roding . And yes it was red (iron oxide paint)

[@WILD4X4D]

I don't ever plan on leaving Canada. Though, between your channel and Geoff Marshall, I think I could get around the underground pretty good. If I ever went to London.

[@iwasglad122]

Leaving Canada??? The way things are going for that lovely country and its inhabitants, you won't ever be allowed to.

[@SteamCrane]

We in the US are stuck between Cuba and Canada. The difference is getting quite small.

[@cd0u50c9]

Ah, playing on the old saying: 'one's knowledge on the world is best exercised by never seeing it'. In case you never make it over here we would be glad to not be aware that we can't see you.

[@WilliamHBaird-eq2hp]

Another GREAT episode Jago Hazzard. I love anything to do with the Roundels, and this one is right up my alley!

[@artistjoh]

As a graphic designer I loved this, but I entered Graphic design heaven when you talked about the difference between typeface and font. Once so important, it remains in the university classes of those of us who study typography and publishing, but few in the outside world have any idea about the history and design of typefaces and fonts Only the most nerdy amongst us get so excited about such details, and I love its inclusion here. Thank you.

[@rhonagreen5444]

The original drawings for the Johnson typeface are at the V&A. When I was a graphics student back in the 80s I was allowed to view them by appointment. Very interesting to see the hand drawn designs.

[@4623620]

Dear Jago, Your channel is very interesting and your sense of humour highly amusing. If you allow me a suggestion; I'd like to hear and see more about advertisements on the Underground, not the common ones but specials such as "Tate by Tube", which is etched in my memory since the first time I visited London.This suggestion was triggered by seeing the Covent Garden poster (at 5:18).

[@MakeSomeNoisePlaylists]

yup, I am in for that as well √√√

[@Krzyszczynski]

Noted crime writer Michael Gilbert once wrote a short story based on a glimpse one passenger had had (or thought he had) of an Underground poster that said "GET HERRING JAM". Unfortunately I can't now remember the title.

[@joncrawford3485]

For one second I read the title as "Weird Hazzards on the London Underground". Says no more.

[@stephengreenwald5271]

I recall that in the late 50s some (or possibly all) of the roundels on what was then the branch of the Northern Line from Moorgate to Finsbury Park, were diamond shaped a little like the Metropolitan Lines ones on the parking platforms at Moorgate your mentioned. Hooray for roundels!

[@alextr3a640]

Great again, thanks! Like you’re being a nerd about fonts! Me as graphic designer working in the printing industry…. Alsno being nerdy about everything that talks design. And the underground is one of the nicest. And of course the map is one of greatest designs of them all

[@fillng]

your font/typeface pedantry is wonderful

[@Ro99]

These videos are really informative and entertaining. Thanks Jago

[@ianmcclavin]

Re: the Pimlico illuminated roundels, actually ALL the platforms on the Victoria Line between Brixton and King's Cross St Pancras, plus Moorgate and Old Street on the Northern Line, the northbound City Branch Northern Line platform at Euston, and Hounslow West, Hatton Cross and Heathrow Central (later T1,2,3) on the Piccadilly Line, had illuminated glass roundels originally, but these have largely now been replaced, with only Pimlico and Hatton Cross retaining them. (The ones on the northbound Victoria Line at Oxford Circus were destroyed in the 1984 platform fire). Also the Jubilee Line platforms from Baker Street to Charing Cross, had similar illuminated signs, but these were "roundel-shaped" rather than square; these have also since been removed.

[@latexborg]

Superb as always. My wife and I enjoy your channel immensely. Looking forward to the next one. I have also been watching from the first ones you put here, very enjoyable to. Very glad I found your work.

[@neilforbes416]

In regard to this subject, you finally got a-round(el) to it! LOL

[@anrvrx]

It would be also interesting to cover the corporate identity history in terms of signage and advertising. For instance I remember that in the late 90s there was already the current style in place, though not everywhere (and even now there are places with older signage not replaced, especially the station name friezes).

[@simonwinter8839]

Jago states that the illuminated roundel at Pimlico was to be the theme at all Victoria line stations but costs prevented it.I'm sure that originally all Victoria line stations had illuminated roundels on their platforms but were removed when the platforms were refurbished. With regards to unusual roundels, my colleague whom I was a bus driver with in the 1970s ( who was called Mr. Chilly and as you can see my name is Winter so when we worked as a drver/conductor crew that was a good combination) had a cap badge from a previous job he had preformed within the then named London Transport which was coloured completely purple with the word "PUBLICITY" written in the bar. He used to wear it in his cap when driving his number two bus from Stockwell garage much to the amusement of the garage manager. I will be 65 on Tuesday (22 02 22)and I started on the buses in 1974 as a bus operating trainee. At the age of 18 I became a conductor. At 22 a driver and I am still driving now for Abellio. In fact I'm just off to work now to to a late shift on a 159. If anyone would like to wish me a happy birthday for Tuesday, feel free !!

[@davidbarrass]

many happy returns for Tuesday

[@simonwinter8839]

@@davidbarrass Thank you !!

[@robertcameron-ellis6518]

Happy birthday! And thanks for your service.

[@simonwinter8839]

@@robertcameron-ellis6518 Thanks. I've witnessed many changes in my time on the buses.

[@Duncan1974]

My father used to work for London Transport as a signal engineer....he always told me that the roundel design represented 'through London and around London'..but I'm not sure if he just made that up!

[@williamchamberlain2263]

Makes sense for transportation, and also for the river (oldest transport) running west-east through the middle of the city

[@highpath4776]

@@williamchamberlain2263 Wheel and Bar design partly originated with London General Omnibus Company, and was used by British Electric Traction (whom generally had a corporate magnet and wheel device)subsidary Birmingham and Midland Motor Omnibus Company (BMMO) Midland Red

[@katbryce]

The circle represents London, and the bar represents the River Thames. Or at least that's what I was told.

[@richard-mtl]

I love discovering your older videos (well ok, not that old, only 1 year and a bit, but still!). Great work as usual!

[@Satters]

wonderfully quirky and informative as ever, thankyou

[@nixmixes770]

The most distant stations with Underground type roundels can be seen in Sydney, most notably at the aptly-named Museum station, which is also listed on the national heritage register. Sydney used similar branding in the 1930's but later went its own way.

[@TfL1901]

The distinction hasn't vanished for designers, even in web design... Its all very important! Knowing the difference between a typeface, font, shade and tone still applies.

[@Ice_Karma]

Congratulations for making the 'typeface' vs 'font' distinction! Welcome to the world of type nerdery! ;3

[@amethyst7084]

I'll be looking at all of the roundels as I travel on the Tube from now on. Thanks for another great video, Jago! 👏🏾👏🏾⭐⭐

[@webrarian]

When I was at library school in London in 1980 the word was still spelled "fount". "Font" came over from the USA with computers, I imagine.

[@brucemcintosh68]

Really jolly interesting. All these things we've seen from the corner of our eye... Thank you for another splendid vid.

[@esmeephillips5888]

The Johnston typeface and the Beck map are two of the greatest examples of industrial design this century.

[@SamBrev]

Another one you might have missed: you say the roundel either contains the name of the station or the word "Underground," but at Mile End (and possibly some others) there is a roundel above the entrance which still reads "London Transport"

[@TadeuszCantwell]

There is nothing more on brand then a pedantic diversion into fonts and typefaces, thanks jago.

[@justinleslie1]

The roundels atop Wanstead station have two panels making it read “Under Ground”

[@MrGreatplum]

Great stuff, Jago - making the mundane interesting!

[@KnotChinese]

What a particularly satisfying episode, wonderful!

[@mdhazeldine]

Great topic. I feel like I've seen roundels embedded into the floor somewhere too, but I can't think where.

[@joex2004uk]

I know this is outside your usual area of interest of expertise, but I would love to see a video about international roundels, inspired by London Underground. Such as the few roundels used on the Indian railway network.

[@jovanweismiller7114]

Liked your discussion of the differences between a font and a typeface. I'm old enough that I used to work in a print shop where they still used lead type.

[@roberthuron9160]

Jago,my compliments on an extremely interesting video! Having watched over the years,all the New York-MTA changes over the course of time,plus the outliers,from the IRT,BRT/BMT,and the IND,and throw in the Boston,and Philadelphia operations,there is a plethora of type faces,logos/symbols,and other ephemeral material to keep one busy for years!! The really surprising thing,is how much has survived over the past century or so!! And,as an aside,by being a photographer,and sometime graphics cameraman,I learned a lot of that type(pardon the pun)of material on my OJT,operations!! Typography is an area,everybody sees,but doesn't comprehend,and personally,I think that the LNER,had the best,and clearest usage of signage,and graphics,and the Canadian National also did a remarkable job,with their Typography and,operations! By the by,if you ever saw the CN zebras,you wouldn't forget them!! Again thanks for that really great video,and,yes,please do more of the same!! Thanks 😊!

[@gdclemo]

I saw those Moorgate diamond roundels (squarels?) the other day and wondered if Jago had ever mentioned them in a video - well now you have. Thanks!

[@willhovell9019]

The diamond roundel or Squarel can be found at Willesden Green on the Jubilee Line .built as 4 platfy Met Railway. Wonderful how the roundel is used throughout Indian Railways

[@robertfletcher3421]

Thank you for the education on Fonts and typefaces. You are running a great series.

[@ajs41]

The illuminated roundels at Pimlico are fantastic. I wish they'd install some more, including outside the buildings. I've been to Pimlico a few times but never really noticed that they were illuminated.

[@unclenogbad1509]

I'd seen a few of these, and had wondered about the various variations. Only brief, idle wondering on my part, but then you go and make a fascinating video out of it. Many thanks.

[@duncan649]

South Woodford (George Lane) roundels are a good example of obsolete names surviving to the present day. I'm assuming its a throwback to the station's name when it was part of the old Great Eastern branch to Ongar? Without a doubt one of the most watchable you tube channels. The oldest underground network in the world has such a rich and quirky history.

[@benwilson6145]

Best and oldest trade mark is Bass Ale Triangle.

[@johnjephcote7636]

That is the reason I always write 'UndergrounD' with two upper case letters.

[@CyclingSteve]

I've always seen it as an open ended tube with a line through it.

[@paulinacyganek7440]

I still remember visiting Piccadilly Circus at the beginning of 2020, when the station was temporarily renamed 'Picardilly Circus' to promote new Star Trek TV series.

[@MrHallJackson]

I always thought the roundel was an abstraction of the wheel and drive rod on a steam train.

[@hairyairey]

Cannot believe you missed the roundel on the floor at Pimlico!

[@PlanetoftheDeaf]

Great stuff. That "E" in the West Brompton sign is surprisingly jarring!

[@johnm2012]

A variation on the roundel has been adopted to mark the Grenfell Tower tragedy. The circle is re-shaped into a heart and the word "GRENFELL" overlaid on the bar. The colours may be TfL-style red and blue or green.

[@peterjohncooper]

Another brilliant treatise on something I didn't know I needed to know about. Thank you.

[@SiVlog1989]

Fun fact, even though for a while the East London Line was part of the Metropolitan Railway, the signs (at least at Shoreditch) differed from the Met station sign design by having the diamond coloured green owing to the line's connection to the Southern Railway at the New Cross end (especially what would be later known as New Cross Gate, owing to the direct connection to the Brighton Mainline from London Bridge)

[@michaeldwyer3352]

Great research and wonderful material here for pub quiz questions.

[@DavidShepheard]

At Southfields Station, they often install intrusive advertising, for Wimbledon Tennis (and then not get rid of it properly). One year a washing machine company paid for both the embankments opposite the island platforms to have "washing machine roundels" installed. If I recall correctly, these had the name of the washing machine in the rotating roundels. They were mounted on metal poles that were driven into the embankments, and when they removed the fake washing machines, they left all of these poles stuck into the ground. They are still there, making the area look ugly.

[@YannaTarassi]

Love this channel, I always learn something both quirky and interesting

[@jakeeiseman-renyard3505]

Mornington Crescent station used to have a solid red disc roundel before it closed for refurbishment bin 1992 (and was then closed for nearly 6 years).

[@mquietsch6736]

"a pun, or play on words". RIP Sir Terry. ❤️❤️

[@baystated]

I love how half of the short clip you picked for the Brixton MegaRoundel was blocked by a double decker bus.

[@keithorchard3137]

Superb as always, Jago ! thank you !

[@CopenhagenRailProductions]

I just love Jago's play with words, depending on the videos theme, when he says "You're the x to my x" to his Kofis and Patreons. I can't help but chuckle at it, because it's just a plain pun. I love puns! hahaha

[@qwertyTRiG]

Have you read any Pratchett? I appreciate Jago's little nod towards his puns in this video.

[@CopenhagenRailProductions]

@@qwertyTRiG I had a look on Google, and no, i haven't. The books don't catch me, as my main sorce of books are either comedy, comics or literature (such as a story of how my local suburban network came to be in 1934, and what happened with it, up into 2009)

[@MervynPartin]

Fascinating. Much more to the subject than I realised, London Transport's design teams certainly produced some good, enduring styles. The Southern Railway also used the design, but smaller and in green, equally distinctive.

[@NTSCuser]

Re: the roundel at Redbridge, the word you were looking for is 'rebus', ie: a representation of words or syllables by pictures of objects or by symbols whose names resemble the intended words or syllables in sound.

[@DPJTrump]

absolutely wonderful content, as ever, Jago. It's all very interesting - love your videos !

[@rjjcms1]

I could say it was even Morden interesting.

[@DavidBromage]

A couple more are the unusually thin red circle at Leicester Square and the curved one in the stairwell at Aldgate East. The mosaic one at Maida Vale is worth mentioning (and of course the modern Maud Milton mosaics on several Overground stations) An honourable mention could be the brass clock at Redbridge.

[@aliendon73]

On Euston Square you mentioned the H&C not having it's own roundel, because of being part of the Met line. However the H&C did have its own pink roundel at Great Portland St, that was until the refurbishment of the station in 2002. Where they were all removed and one of each each colour was sent to the Transport Mueseum, unfortunately the rest were scrapped. I was the Site Manager/ Site Person in Charge (SPC) for the entirity of the project, from mid 2000 to it's completion in late 2002.

[@rolandbogush2594]

Very interesting, especially the Typeface/Font information. Also loved the TP reference - is that his silhouette you use in the lower right of your frame? His wide-brimmed hat was a 'reverse disguise' - when he removed it, no-one knew who he was.

[@davidbosher8377]

Very interesting video about the London Underground roundel and I learned quite a lot from it. Thank you. Regarding those station names with additional information in parathensis, South Wimbledon is not in Wimbledon at all but in Merton which is why Merton was added to the name soon after its opening but only two roundels bearing this legend survive today, one on each platform, TfL persisting with the South Wimbledon misnomer, as it simply appears on the LU diagram (for want of a better description), a joke within a joke since this part of the Northern Line isn't in north London neither, of course. At South Woodford station on the Central Line in east London, this was opened by the Eastern Counties Railway as George Lane in 1856 and was renamed South Woodford (George Lane) by the LNER on 5th July 1937 and was first served by Central Line tube trains on 14th December 1947 when it became simply South Woodford in the final month of the LPTB. Yet, despite this contraction of its name (and as it has always appeared on the LU diagram), LU roundels were unveiled proclaiming it to still be South Woodford (George Lane) and some of these still exist three quarters of a century later alongside more modern roundels with the contracted name. Over in west London, Ladbroke Grove's roundels now proclaim it to be Ladbroke Grove for Portobello Road but again the LU diagram does not reciprocate this. Park Royal station on the South Harrow/Uxbridge branch of the Piccadilly Line and originally opened in 1903 was resited slightly south-east on the Great West Road on 1st March 1936 and renamed Park Royal (Hanger Hill) but officially lost the suffix in 1947 just before the end of the LPTB but its roundels still proclaimed the 1936 title well into the 1960s. I can remember seeing these when touring the Underground, considerably more times than once, with a cousin with half price Twin Rover tickets (which could also be used on buses, hence their description "Twin") during the school holidays - sheer bliss in more ways than one, being able to tour the Underground and not have to go to school, which I loathed. Kind regards, David, Crouch End, N8.

[@binarydinosaurs]

Excellent stuff as ever, Jago. The Johnston typeface is indeed a thing of beauty. Apropos printing, we still use the terms 'Upper' and 'Lower' case which in the printing days were literally two different wooden cases with capitals in the top one, or 'Upper'.