RETRO POSTERS

 

Retro Posters 

Retro Posters 

Rail posters from the 1950s are likely to become more sought after, given the growth in interest in this decade. These can he found for £100-800 or more, depending on the artwork, designer, and

example is works by Abram Games (designer of the Festival of Britain logo), which have a strong design and may well rise in value. Designs from the 1950s that fetch high prices today include Alan Durman's 'Bognor Regis' poster (1955), in which a woman in a yellow bathing costume holds a beach ball; and Jack Merriott's 'Newquay' poster (1954), showing a girl surfing through breaking waves.

Cruising in luxury

Retro Posters 

The romance associated with foreign travel began in the early 20th century with luxury cruise liners such as the Mauretania, the Olympic, the ill-fated Titanic, and the Normandie. Posters that show the ships themselves are popular, especially if they feature period design - most notably the Art Deco style. Perhaps the most famous example is the 1935 poster for the Normandie by Adolphe Mouron CCassandre'). Using his typical bold colours, simple lines, and clean design with large, flat forms, he depicts the mighty ship powering through the sea. Although this poster can fetch &5,000-10,000, its design and stylistic hallmarks are worth bearing in mind when looking at other examples. Less expensive liner and ship posters can be found by lesser-known artists. For example, a stylised Nelson Steam

Retro Posters 

 

Navigation Company poster from the 1930s depicting a line-up of ships, perhaps imitating Cassandre, can fetch around £600.

Retro Posters 

Brand names also count. Partly owing to the immense public interest in the Titanic, owned by the White Star Line, prices for their posters will generally be high, as will those for other giants such as P&O and Cunard. particularly if the artwork is note­worthy. But such was the popularity

of travel by liner that many other companies operated overseas. These smaller lines offer a more accessible option, with prices often ranging between £150 and £500.

Journey's end

Part of the attraction of ocean travel was the exotic destination. Look for alluring images of foreign destinations. Colours are usually bright and saturated, calling people away from

grey, rainy Britain. These posters can be found from around £150. For example, a Blue Star Line poster for Mediterranean cruises showing a Nortli African view with a man riding a camel amid Moorish buildings can fetch around £200.

Retro Posters 

The end of an era

Later posters for liners in the 1950s and 60s, when sea travel began to fall out of fashion, are often less valuable than those from the 1920s and 30s and can fetch £50-250 or more for known brand names, those by notable designers, or those with superb designs in period styles. As the best posters become too expensive for most collectors, these later posters may make a good investment.

Plane sailing

Air travel offered a swifter alternative to journeys by sea. The slogan, Africa in days instead of weeks', on an Imperial Airways poster of 1937 neatly makes this point. Until Pan American (Pan Am) and Imperial Airways had

planes with the range to make the trip across the Atlantic, flying boats provided the competition for liners. This was perhaps the most glamorous way to travel from Southampton to New York. An Imperial Airways poster from the 1930s shows a passenger reclining in comfort attended by a waiter carrying cocktails on a tray. Many of these 1930s posters can be valuable, fetching £200-600 or more, as they often have striking Art Deco artwork. As before, those by lesser- known or unidentified designers generally fetch less.

Come fly with me

After World War II, passengers grew to expect the convenience of a plane flying from a nearby airport. In the 1950s, foreign holidays by air  became cheaper and services expanded. Planes became less luxurious and emphasis was placed on speed. Posters with images of speeding planes are desirable, and many have their stylistic origins in the 1930s, with clean lines, flat areas of bold colour, and angular shapes. Those showing a multitude of foreign destinations, all conveniently served by the featured airline, are popular. If by a leading designer such as Abram Games, they are usually valuable and can fetch £200-600 or more.

Retro Posters 

Retro Posters 

Posters for well-known airlines such as Pan Am, British Overseas Airways Corporation (BOAC), and Air France have loyal followings and can fetch £500-1,000 or more. Less expensive

posters in the style of the period can sometimes be found.

Supersonic luxury

Concorde represented the ultimate in luxury travel, and poster prices are probably yet to reach their peak. The withdrawal of Concorde from service in 2003 may cause values to rise. A Concorde poster from 1977 (the year in which the plane first took paying passengers) can fetch £30-50. As Concorde was operated by only two airlines, Air France and British Airways, examples are rare compared to posters for the more widespread Boeing 747, for example, and could prove to be a wise investment.