Railway Posters 1923-1947 /anglais - Softcover

Between 1923 and 1947 the railway poster in Britain was in its heyday. These were the years of the so-called "Big Four" companies: The Great Western Railway, Southern Railway, London Midland and Scottish Railway, and London and North Eastern Railway. In the competition for passengers, each of the companies developed its own distinctive style of poster advertising. Some of the finest poster artists of the time were commissioned - including Cassandre, Edward McKnight Kauffer, Fred Taylor and Tom Purvis - and new standards were set for railway art. The subjects of the posters ranged from the resorts and towns covered by each company's network, top trains and the wider interests of the railway; from beautiful landscapes, sunny beaches and bathing belles, to ships, hotels and streamlined expresses. This book contains over 200 of the most striking and innovative designs of the period. An illustrated introduction, extended captions and biographies of the artists provide a comprehensive analysis of the classic era of the railway poster.

The National Railway Museum in York has a large and varied collection of railway art and artefacts; this books shows over 200 of the best posters dating from the railways' heyday prior to nationalization. In this period, renowned poster artists of the calibre of Edward McKnight Kauffer, Tom Purvis and Cassandre were commissioned by the railway groups to promote not only their lines but also the most beautiful and appealing cities and towns in their areas for tourists to visit. The railway companies virtually invented the "package tour", and promoted it intensively not only in the UK but also in the USA. The introduction explains the history of the companies during the period covered, and examines their attitudes to poster advertising. The book is then divided into four sections, one for each of the railway groups: the resulting selection makes an analysis of poster art in the UK in its "golden age" of the Twenties and Thirties. Extended captions explain the context of the works, and information about the artists is provided. The authors are on the curatorial staff of the National Railway Museum, York.