"The story began in November 1925, when the Port of London Authority (PLA) launched its first staff and industry magazine, PLA Monthly. Sold for sixpence, the publication represented a shift in how the Authority communicated with its workforce and the wider maritime world. Its arrival came at a moment of rapid change. Britain was still rebuilding in the aftermath of the First World War, while new technologies were transforming the shipping industry. Electric cranes, automatic telephones and ever-larger ocean liners were reshaping dockside life."
"Design changes followed in the decades that came next. Colour was introduced in 1965, while by 1975 the publication - now titled simply Port of London - was recording a port in transition. The rise of containerisation was shifting cargo handling away from traditional Docklands towards Tilbury, signalling the end of an era on the inner Thames. In the 2000s, the magazine evolved again as Port of London News, with a new, newspaper-style layout, more photography and a livelier editorial tone."
The Port of London Authority launched its first staff and industry magazine, PLA Monthly, in November 1925 and sold it for sixpence. The publication chronicled post‑First World War rebuilding and technological change such as electric cranes, automatic telephones and larger ocean liners. By the 1930s it became a regular monthly documenting working life and international reach. Post‑war recovery by 1955 made the Port one of the world’s busiest docks and increased readership. Colour was added in 1965. By 1975 the title, Port of London, recorded containerisation-driven shifts toward Tilbury. The 2000s redesign as Port of London News introduced a newspaper layout and more photography. The PLA digitised one edition from each decade back to 1925 and made the archive available online, including a centenary edition.
Read at ianVisits
Unable to calculate read time
Collection
[
|
...
]