1930s Chamonix Mont Blanc Ski Poster

Artist Max Ponty's sharp graphic style can be appreciated in this 1935 original lithograph from Chamonix, Mont Blanc in France. The vibrantly coloured promotional print by the Agence Francaise de Propagande for the French PLM railway company is in high quality condition. As such, one can appreciate the quirky lilac and violet shadings and iridescent snow. The large-scale lime typography against a dense, black background is delightfully bold.

In A condition - a poster in very good condition; the colours are fresh and there is no paper loss; there may be some slight blemish or tears.

A key attraction to this type of memorabilia is their usability: unlike the one-off pleasure of a bottle of wine or stamps stowed away in an album, these posters are works of art made to be displayed - ideally in a ski lodge and increasingly in the home too.

For anyone who's ever curled up with a chocolat chaud and fondue after a day on the slopes or stepped outside their chalet to a landscape of immaculate fresh powder under an icy blue sky, skiing is a captivating experience that offers thrill and indulgence in equal measure. It's no surprise then that images reminding people of their time in these mountain paradises have become such popular and sought-after collectibles.

Before the widespread use of photography these posters were designed by French and Swiss artists who were trained in traditional techniques of illustration such as stone lithography, and commissioned by hotels or regional tourist bodies, making these fine pieces true and valid works of art. By the 60's there was a shift to incorporating photography into posters and these too are now eminently collectible and starkly beautiful works.