Great Portland Street Underground Sign

This is a very large early 20th Century enamelled steel London underground station sign. The sign is for Great Portland Street and used to direct people to the exit. Great Portland Street was part of the world's first underground railway, the Metropolitan Railway, which opened between "Bishop's Road" (now Paddington) on the Hammersmith & City line and "Farringdon Street" (close to the present-day Farringdon station). It was opened on 10 January 1863 as "Portland Road", changed to its present name on 1 March 1917 but was renamed "Great Portland Street and Regents Park" in 1923 and then reverted to its present name in 1933. The sign is in two parts and shows signs of use but is in strong and sound condition. The two parts of the sign have many holes around the edges to fasten it safely to the wall.