After studying archaeology and history at university in Wales, Jonathan Riddell worked first as a museum archaeologist. His interest in transport history led him to join the London Transport Museum in Covent Garden in 1980, where as a curator he looked after the poster, art and ephemera collections. He left in 2008 to run the family map and print business. He has written several books and articles on posters. His book "Tramway Art" was published in 2010 and depicts the posters issued by the London Country Council Tramways in the 1920s and 1930s. His latest poster book "Away From It All By Underground" was published in January 2021.