Railway Posters 1923-1947

Product Description

The National Railway Museum in York has a large & varied collection of railway art & 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 Mc Knight Kauffer, Tom Purvis & Cassandre were commissioned by the railway groups to promote not only their lines but also the most beautiful & appealing cities & towns in their areas for tourists to visit. The railway companies virtually invented the ”package tour”, & 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, & 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 & Thirties. Extended captions explain the context of the works, & information about the artists is provided. The authors are on the curatorial staff of the National Railway Museum, York.