Notice to lower blinds in railway carriages in case of approach of hostile aircraft, issued by London Brighton & South Coast Railway, c1916.

This poster was created in 1916 for use on the London, Brighton & South Coast Railway (LB&SCR) during the First World War to remind passengers to keep their blinds shut while on train journeys, it was likely displayed within train carriages. There was a blackout during the First World War, when lights had to be dimmed or turned off to prevent aiding enemy aircraft on bombing raids. Drawn by the Winston Churchill as First Lord of the Admiralty, it was first implemented in coastal towns in the early days of the war, it was later expanded across the country in 1916. The LB&SCR ran in a rough triangle between London, the Sussex coastline and Surrey connecting multiple coastal towns directly to London, meaning that it was crucial that the blackout restrictions were communicated to the travelling public.

The publisher, Waterlow and Sons Limited, was well renowned for their production of banknotes and had multiple factories within London. This would have made them a prime candidate to print important notices such as this one. This item provides insight into what measures were taken by railway companies during the First World War to safeguard the people of Britain and to comply with wartime defence measures implemented by the government and the armed forces.