London Travel Poster: Oxhey Woods by Edward McKnight Kauffer, 1915

Oxhey Woods, London Underground by Edward McKnight Kauffer (1915) is an evocative early travel poster that invites Londoners out to the leafy edges of the city. Kauffer, an American-born artist who settled in Britain, became one of the most influential designers associated with the Underground’s pioneering poster program. Having studied in San Francisco, Chicago, and Paris just before the First World War, he brought a modernist sensibility to British advertising—melding European avant‑garde ideas with a distinctly English love of landscape. Here, he turns his eye to Oxhey Woods on the Hertfordshire fringe of London, capturing the spirit of a tranquil green escape within easy reach of the city.

This listing is for a high-quality fine art print by The Unique Maps Co., produced on your choice of acid‑free archival paper or artist’s cotton canvas. Multiple sizes are available to suit your space. Add optional framing for a ready‑to‑hang finish, and personalize the print with a custom caption, date, or short message to commemorate a special trip or memory. Every piece is carefully prepared for faithful color, crisp detail, and long‑lasting display.

Edward McKnight Kauffer (1890–1954) was a trailblazer in graphic design, celebrated for bringing modern art to the public through transport posters, book jackets, and stage designs. Arriving in London in the 1910s, he quickly became a leading voice for the Underground Group, whose enlightened patronage of artists changed the look of the city. Kauffer’s work combined crisp geometry and flowing natural forms, a blend that made his posters both legible at a glance and rich with artistic character.

The subject itself—Oxhey Woods—points to the London of weekend rambles and fresh air, part of a broader cultural shift when the Underground promoted day trips to the countryside. In 1915, stylized poster art was redefining how destinations were advertised: less literal portrait, more distilled mood. This design captures the serenity of a woodland just beyond London’s bustle, making it a perfect keepsake for those who’ve walked its paths or cherish the green belt north‑west of the city.

Visually, the poster leans into Art Nouveau’s organic curves and bold, summarizing contours. A palette led by vibrant greens, lifted by shafts of yellow and grounded with warm browns, creates a rhythmic pattern of trunks, branches, and clearings. Smooth, flat areas of color sit against subtly textured bark and foliage, while confident outlines simplify the forms into a harmonious composition. Clever use of negative space balances canopy and sky, giving the scene an airy, inviting quality that still reads instantly from across a room—exactly what great poster design should do.

This fine art print makes a thoughtful gift for London lovers, walkers and ramblers, Art Nouveau enthusiasts, and anyone celebrating a travel memory—perfect for Christmas, birthdays, Father’s Day, Mother’s Day, a housewarming, or as a meaningful present for someone recently returned from Hertfordshire’s green lanes.

If you're not sure what size to order, or you're looking for a custom order of some kind – a different size, a different colour, a special frame – then please contact me. I usually respond within a few minutes.

You can see an example of my fine art personalisation service in the fifth image. Zoom in and take a look. My personalised artwork is always very well received. Take a look at more examples of personalisation.

You can also choose to age your art print to make it look older. This is popular amongst my customers who want their artwork to look like an older, antique print. You can see an example of ageing in the sixth product image, or go ahead and check out lots of examples of other aged artwork.

The model in the listing images is holding the 24x36in (60x90cm) version of this art print.

I can print and frame this beautiful piece of art at sizes up to 3 metres (10ft). If you are looking for a size or framing option that isn't available online, please get in touch.

This artwork is available as a giclée print on acid free archival matte paper, or you can buy it framed. My standard frames come in six colours (black, dark brown, dark grey, antique gold, oak and white), and custom framing is available for an additional charge. My frames are glazed with super-clear museum-grade acrylic (perspex/acrylite), which is significantly less reflective than glass, safer, and will always arrive in perfect condition.