To London By Sleeper poster – Flying Scotsman vintage railway poster – Alexandre Alexeieff 1932
To London By Sleeper: A Surreal Masterpiece
The To London By Sleeper poster, created by the renowned artist and filmmaker Alexandre Alexeieff, is arguably one of the most unusual railway posters ever made. Born in Russia, Alexeieff primarily worked in Paris and is celebrated for his innovative work in filmmaking, including the invention of the pinscreen. This intriguing To London By Sleeper poster is a testament to his unique artistic vision.
Before his pioneering animation career, the British London and North Eastern Railway Company (LNER) commissioned Alexeieff for two posters. His second poster for the LNER, the subject of this listing, was the To London By Sleeper poster from 1932. This captivating To London By Sleeper poster was designed to advertise the LNER’s Sleeper Train service from Edinburgh to King’s Cross.
The Artistry Behind the Flying Sleeper
The concept of slumber inspired Alexeieff to devise a fanciful, surreal scene for the To London By Sleeper poster. In a dreamlike vision, he captures the imagination with a flying locomotive floating across an ethereal, starlit night sky. The fantastical train takes flight, defying the laws of gravity and reality. The Flying Scotsman is pictured moving past the serene lakes and majestic peaks of the Scottish Highlands.
Bathed in the gentle glow of a luminous full moon, the landscape below comes alive with an almost supernatural radiance. The mesmerizing portrayal encapsulates the essence of the night—the mystique of moors, the wild landscapes, and the allure of fairy tales. Alexeieff’s meticulous attention to detail captures the very essence of the night, with light tones reminiscent of his animated films.
Rarity and Value of the To London By Sleeper Poster
The rarity and significance of the To London By Sleeper poster cannot be overstated. In 2015, an original copy fetched an impressive price of £30,000 at auction, reaffirming its enduring appeal and historical importance. This To London By Sleeper poster stands as a remarkable fusion of art and advertising, reminding us of the limitless creativity that can be achieved when imagination takes flight.
How much is an original 1932 Alexandre Alexeieff To London By Sleeper poster worth?
An original 1932 Alexandre Alexeieff To London By Sleeper poster can be extremely valuable due to its rarity and artistic significance. As noted, in 2015, one copy sold for £30,000 at auction.
Other Flying Scotsman Railway Posters
The Flying Scotsman passenger train service began in 1862 as the Special Scotch Express and was officially named in 1923. Running on the East Coast mainline from London King’s Cross to Edinburgh Waverley, the Flying Scotsman soon became a beloved icon. Its unmissable green livery, record-breaking achievements, and iconic railway posters made it incredibly popular with the British public.
The Flying Scotsman continues to be a symbol of British engineering and a cherished piece of railway history, captivating enthusiasts and tourists worldwide. This famous train has left its mark in various forms of media, gracing books, films, and even adorning coins, postage stamps, and jigsaw puzzles. Its iconic presence extends to everyday items like cups, mugs, and coasters.
Capturing the Legend on Posters
Vintage posters featuring the Flying Scotsman are especially popular among collectors due to their rarity and nostalgic appeal. These posters capture the essence of the train and are highly valued by those who appreciate history and art. The posters are a testament to its enduring legacy, as the Flying Scotsman continues to inspire and captivate generations, becoming a cherished symbol of the golden age of rail travel.
Some of our favourite Flying Scotsman posters include an anonymous poster created for the LNER in conjunction with the Cunard shipping line. This poster encouraged transatlantic travel from America and Canada to the British shores and onto the Continent. The Cunard LNER poster depicts the famous train waiting patiently on Liverpool docks while its passengers disembark from the RMS Aquitania.
Another well-known and popular poster was produced in 1932 by the British artist A.R. Thomson. The Take Me By Flying Scotsman poster depicts a small child standing on a railway platform looking up at a train driver in his cab. The poster mimics Southern Railways ‘Early Holiday poster‘ by Charles Brown. However, the size of the child compared to the locomotive, and the train driver needing to use a megaphone to communicate with the child, seems to be a playful way to show that LNER trains were bigger and faster than Southern’s.
Leo Marfurt‘s 1928 Flying Scotsman poster is an Art Deco classic that barely features the famous locomotive or train. Instead, the bright and contemporary graphic, almost abstract design depicts a large crowd of passengers leaving the platform having alighted the train whilst others wait patiently to board. The image accompanies the message that the train leaves Kings Cross station in London at 10 a.m. every weekday.
A personal favorite features the iconic train winding its way through the rugged Scottish scenery in the Monessie Gorge in Inverness-shire, Scotland. The stunning By Rail to the Highlands print was created by the renowned artist Terence Cuneo who was renowned for his incredible railway posters and fine art paintings.
For our final highlight, we have chosen a series of posters that were created to celebrate the Flying Scotsman turning 100 years old. Each of the twenty Centenary posters marks one of the mainline centenary runs that took place between March and December 2023. The runs include East Lancashire, Royal Duchy, Keighley and Worth Valley, Cardiff Express, the Cheshireman, the Portsmouth Flyer, the Salisbury Express, the East Coast Mainline, and the Highland Express.
We currently list over 200 vintage railway posters in our collection with new ones introduced on a regular basis. More than a dozen of these include superb reproduction prints and original Flying Scotsman posters. Take a trip over there and see where the journey takes you!
