Tourism and Travel Posters
Travel posters helped to promote holiday destinations which could be reached by train and were displayed at railway stations. The railways were one of the main reasons for the growth in the seaside holiday.
Railway Poster advertising Saltburn-by-the-Sea
North Yorkshire Moors Railway
Some posters were produced by well-known artists, like this one. You can see the signature of the artist at the bottom right corner of the image – H. G. Gawthorn.
Henry George Gawthorn produced a range of images in the 1920s and 30s for colour lithograph posters for LNER (London and North Eastern Railway). He often included a self-portrait, wearing a pince-nez and Panama hat.
Vocabulary
Lithography: this is a type of printing that works on the principle that oil and water don’t mix. By applying oil-based substances to certain parts of the image, lithographers are able to ensure that the ink adheres to some areas but not others, according to the design.
Click on the photo to enlarge it.
Watch the art video – listen to contemporary travel artist Richard O’Neill share his top tops for making a travel poster and create your own.
Watch the Art Video With Subtitles
Talking Points
How has the artist simplified the image – what details are missing?
Why do you think Gawthorn liked to include a self-portrait in his posters?
Does Saltburn-by-the-Sea look like a nice place to go on holiday? How did the artist attempt to showcase the resort at its best?
What activities can you see taking place in the scene? What are people doing on the beach? Does anything surprise you?
What’s your earliest seaside memory?
In the Classroom
Hotseat
What you would want to ask Henry Gawthorn? Interview a student in role to find out more about his travel art.
What about the lady talking to him in the poster? Interview her about their conversation. What did they speak about?
Hands on History
You can discover more travel posts in collections across North Yorkshire, including at the Royal Pump Room Museum in Harrogate and within the collection at Scarborough Museums and Galleries.
Museum Location
Explore more objects about seaside heritage and the coast
