's list of pre-nationalisation UK electric power companies includes the North Metropolitan Electric Power Supply Company ("Northmet") based in Wood Green, as one of the private companies.
has this text along with the image: "The North Metropolitan (North Met) Electric Power Supply Company was established in 1900 to supply electricity to a wide area of north London and Middlesex. This tin sign advertises the supply and proper use of the fuse wire produced by the company, which provided two different grades of wire on different spools, one labelled 'Power' and the second 'Light'. Closely linked to the North Metropolitan Tramways Company, NorthMet made a handsome profit selling surplus electricity from its power stations at Willesden and Brimsdown in Enfield. NorthMet had its own electricity showrooms where the public could pay their bills as well as buy electrical appliances. Some showrooms even gave cookery demonstrations."
Abolished in 1948 when the British electricity supply industry was nationalized.
We're interested that the graphic for "Northmet" looks so similar to the "Underground" graphic used in early versions of Johnston's roundel, with the dashed line above and below all letters except the embiggened first and last.
A learned paper on has ".. the North Metropolitan Electric Power Distribution Co. covered an extensive area in Hertfordshire and Middlesex. An Act of 1900 empowered the North Metropolitan Electric Power Supply Company to provide supply to large industrial customers and bulk supply to authorised undertakings. .. By 1912 Northmet sales amounted to 29.2million kWh with about half this volume going to the tramway system. Northmet had begun as a subsidiary of British Electric Traction Co. but from 1913 became increasingly associated with the Underground Electric Railways of London group. .. The North Metropolitan Electric Power Co. was the largest company operating in the region with almost 68 percent of all company sales in 1935/36.40 With the formation of the London Passenger Transport Board in 1933, the company became independent of the former Underground Electric Railways of London. With the acquisition of the Harrow (1939) and Hendon (1937) companies, North Met became a substantial holding company until these subsidiaries were consolidated."
So there was a close relationship between Northmet and what would become London Transport. This probably explains the logo similarities but it would be good to know more.
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