METRO-LAND

Metro-land was devised as a catchy brand name for the area north west of London in Middlesex, Hertfordshire and Buckinghamshire served by the Metropolitan Railway. It first appeared in print in 1915 with the publication of Metro-land, a guidebook designed to promote the area for leisure excursion travel from London, as well as to stimulate residential development. The scheme was to blossom into a huge success in the post-war twenties, when new suburban house sales round London took off as never before.

Metro-Land was published annually from 1915 until 1932 and featured evocative descriptions and photographs of historic villages and rural vistas of the area north west of London, Middlesex, Hertfordshire and Buckinghamshire served by the Metropolitan Railway. Not only was it a guidebook designed to promote the area for leisure excursion travel from London but it was packed with facts for the commuter about the cost of season tickets, journey times and also with numerous adverts for all the new housing developments springing up during the 20’s. This 1924 edition of Metro-land was published just as the property and leisure boom was under way and also had the extra purpose of promoting The British Empire Exhibition of 1924/25 at Wembley.

Oliver Green is the Head Curator of London’s Transport Museum and the author and editor of numerous books including Underground Art: London Transport Posters 1908 to the Present and Moving Metropolis: The History of London’s Transport Since 1800.