1950s Steiermark, Austria Ski Poster

In 1955, the traditional printer WUB in Innsbruck printed this image to promote early ski tourism to the high alpine Steiermark, Austria. This original vintage lithograph features a beautifully focused, high altitude shot of the ascending ski lift, dense, sprawling forest and the mystical mountains set against a multi-hued sky.

Very few posters of this area remain in existence, and this poster is offered in highly original condition with great colouration.

In B+ condition - a poster in good condition; there may be some very slight paper loss, the paper may have yellowed (light-stained)

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.