One of the most sought-after collectibles today, ski posters capture the joy of fresh mountain air and the exhilaration of a downhill run through tree-lined glades. Combining travel, sports, and fashion, the ski and other wintersport posters have become a blue-chip category around the world over the last fifteen years.
The first winter resorts appeared in the 1860s and up until 1920, iceskating, luge, tobogganing and cross country were the primary sports. Although by 1900 downhill skiing had become a daredevil's choice, it would grow slowly til the 1930s, when downhill first appeared in the Olympics (Germany, 1936) and the first chairlifts were installed (Sun Valley, 1936). After WWII, wintersport grew rapidly as equipment and resorts were built. With the advent of the metal ski in the 1960s and the baby boomer generation, the ski industry took off around the world.
The birth of the colored lithographic poster in the 1890s was seized on by railroads, resorts, local tourist boards, and event organizers who wanted to promote their businesses. The earliest ski posters appeared around 1900 and by the 1920s were particularly popular for leading resorts, most of which were in Switzerland. The first ski posters were typically Art Nouveau in style, with flowing designs and curving letters. In Germany and Switzerland, the more severe Plakatstil arose around 1905. This style, with its more modern emphasis on flat colors and shapes, gave an impression of timelessness, even when figures were featured in the poster.
As the 1920’s transitioned into the 1930’s, the Great Depression came and hit the ski hills hard. When people couldn’t afford food and clothing, taking a day to go skiing was a hard sell. This reality called for a new poster strategy. Art nouveau was out, and art deco was in.
By the late 1920s and throughout the 1930s, dynamic Art Deco posters drew new interest in the sport. After the war, those streamlined vistas and skiiers gave way to humor, and by the 1960s most posters were photographic. While dramatic and handsome, the classic age of the illustrated ski poster was over.
Other factors specific to ski posters include locale, as many collectors treasure posters from their favorite ski areas. Older ski posters have more historical interest, charm and rarity; not surprisingly, images from before World War II are now very hard to find. This has sparked interest in posters from the Fifties and Sixties, which are nostalgic for aging Baby Boomers and more plentiful.
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