Posters from ‘golden age’ of Scottish rail travel to go under the hammer
Rare early 20th century memorabilia expected to sell for thousands
They are elegantly designed snapshots of a distant era when getting around by rail was regarded as an opulent treat as opposed to a gruelling ordeal.
Now, a series of beautifully illustrated vintage posters from the golden age of train travel is set to go under the hammer.
The range of posters, which date from the early to mid 20th century and depict some well known Scottish routes, are expected to sell for thousands of pounds when they go to auction later this month.
They include an eye-catching image promoting the long-gone rail station which once served Glamis Castle, the childhood home of Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother and the birthplace of Princess Margaret.
The station was originally opened in 1838 by the Newtyle, Eassie and Glamiss Railway, but served its last passengers in 1956.
Before then, however, the renowned artist, Cecil King, produced a series of sharp linen-backed posters promoting LNER and LMS services. They showcased the castle with a slogan stating that ‘it’s quicker by rail.
A copy of one of the posters, measuring 25 by 40 inches, is expected to fetch up to £2,000 when it is sold by Ewbank’s on 25 July.
The Surrey auction house will also be selling a romanticised poster designed for British Railways promoting an annual Highland games, thanks to a colourful image designed by Lance Cattermole. Featuring a bagpipe player and a group of Highland dancers, it is expected to make up to £200.
As important as rail during the so-called golden age were the great cruise liners, and one poster dating to around 1935 is forecast to sell for between £800 to £1,200. Produced for the Cunard White Star company and depicting the Royal Route Steamers, the linen-backed design was created by the Scottish artist, Tom Gilfillan.
Another highlight of the sale is a poster produced for the Durham LNER. Entitled ‘It’s quicker by rail’ the poster was produced around 1930 to a design by the English painter and commercial poster artist, Tom Purvis. It is estimated to make between £1,500 and £3,000.
The auction also includes much earlier designs, such as the Windsor by Motor-Bus poster from 1920. The linen-backed poster with artwork by F. Gregory Brown - who also designed for London the Underground - depicts a romanticised view of the gatehouse to Windsor Castle. Earliest of all is Paris St. Lazare A Londres, a 1914 design for the French railways by Maurice Toussaint.
Andrew Ewbank, senior partner at the auction house, said such posters were proving increasingly popular as people look for different ways to decorate their homes.
“As the artists commissioned to design these posters, and the designs themselves show, poster art was taken seriously from the start,” he said. “Attractive, enticing, artistic, nostalgic and often with superb graphic elements, it’s not surprising that travel posters appeal to so many collectors.
“They also have tremendous ‘wall power’, and pound for pound can be a particularly appealing alternative to traditional art as a decorative alternative for the home.”
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