15 Illustrations That Perfectly Capture London

    Entrants for the 2014 Serco Prize For Illustration were asked to submit pieces based on the theme "London Stories".

    Ailbhe Malone
    by Ailbhe Malone

    BuzzFeed Staff, UK

    1. "London Stories".

    Heather Lewis / Via The London Transport Musuem

    "Poster artwork inspired by the iconic red bus in London. i have included famous London characters, fiction and non fiction, and have kept to a colour scheme that suits the British flag."

    2. "The Menagerie in the Tower".

    Erica Sturla / Via The London Transport Museum

    "The Royal menagerie in the Tower brings a wealth of stories from its 600 year chapter in London's history. I wanted to create an exotic, chaotic and historical scene in a bright contemporary drawing."

    3. "Long Wolf and Buffalo Bill's Wild West Show".

    Melvyn Evans / Via The London Transport Musuem

    "Long Wolf, Buffalo Bill's Wild West Show London 1887. Part of American Exhibition, Victoria's Golden Jubilee. 300 performances, 2.5 million tickets sold. Long Wolf died London, forgotten until 1991."

    4. "No. 7 Ghost Bus."

    Faye Moorhouse / Via The London Transport Museum

    "The No. 7 bus haunts the streets of London. When its seen it appears to have no driver or passengers. Cars swerve to avoid it and many drivers have crashed and died in the process. "

    5. "Monkey Band at large in Notting Hill 1927."

    Gill Bradley / Via The London Transport Musuem

    "In 1927 An escaped Monkey Jazz band embarked on days of high jinks and mayhem at Latimer Road Metropolitan station. Jumping aboard trains one reached as far as Rugby before capture."

    6. "The Princes in the Tower."

    David McConochie / Via The London Transport Museum

    "An illustration based on the ambiguous manner of the disappearance of Edward V and the Duke of York, and the broken narratives that surround the story."

    7. "Guy Fawkes & Bonfire Night."

    David Oku / Via The London Transport Museum

    "This illustration captures the story of the famous Guy Fawkes and bonfire night, the composition shows a modern twist, with elements such as public transport and British famous infrastructure."

    8. "Best Pies in London."

    Andrew Tudor / Via The London Transport Museum

    "Be careful if a Fleet Street orphan offers you a pie. For they have been baked by a Mrs Lovett, from meat supplied by her friend, the barber, Sweeney Todd. And the meat? It comes from his customers."

    9. "Parakeets in London."

    Carina Dewhurst / Via The London Transport Museum

    "The integration of Parakeets into the London wildlife has been a peculiar story. Their origin still remains a mystery. None the less they bring vibrancy and humour to our London landscape."

    10. "The Lady Bridge."

    Eric Chow / Via The London Transport Musuem

    "The Waterloo Bridge is reconstructed mostly by ladies during the wars in 1945 while men were doing national service, it has another name called The Lady Bridge."

    11. "Oranges and Lemons."

    Eliza Southwood / Via The London Transport Museum

    "Everyone knows the Oranges and Lemons song but not everyone is familiar with the actual churches - I've drawn them all as they are today, in a playful interpretation of the London song."

    12. "Add Your London Story"

    Samuel Kerwin / Via The London Transport Museum

    "The viewer is invited to add their own story to the rich diversity of London. Children's building blocks evoke a spirit of 'play' and suggest that each addition forms the very fabric of the city."

    13. "The Guardians of the Tower."

    Nathan Reed / Via The London Transport Musuem

    "Illustrating the legend of the Tower of London whose "Guardian" ravens, to this day, protect the tower from falling."

    14. "Frost Fair."

    Nicholas Stevenson / Via The London Transport Museum

    "The River Thames froze solid 24 times between 1408 and 1814. Sometimes it lasted long enough to hold a fair on the ice, complete with rides, beers, roast ox, and even an Elephant!"

    15. "Going to Work".

    Fabio Corazza / Via The London Transport Museum

    "Illustration based on the urban legend that HM the Queen has her own private secret tube station."

    The exhibition is currently on at the London Transport Museum. Find out more and book tickets here.