1925 Paris à Londres poster Paris-St Lazare à Londres | Chemins de Fer de l’Etat et de Brighton | Rene Péan
The Port of Dieppe is an important maritime gateway located on the coast of northern France, overlooking the English Channel. Dieppe, a coastal town in the Normandy region, has been a strategic port for centuries due to its proximity to England and its natural deep-water or dieppe harbour. In 1925, it was a bustling hub of maritime activity, serving various industries such as fishing, trade, and passenger transportation. The port’s facilities included docks, piers, warehouses, and other infrastructure to support maritime operations. The port of Dieppe also served as an important transportation link between Paris, France, and London, United Kingdom, in 1925. Travel between the two nations was encouraged through posters like this 1925 Paris à Londres poster created by the French artist René Péan.
The poster depicts the scene through a railway carriage window out over the fishing Port of Dieppe in 1925. Sitting on board the train to Paris we can see the Newhaven steamer loaded with its passengers leaving Dieppe for England. In the small harbour, we can also see a couple of fishing boats, the beach across the harbour and the white cliffs coloured yellow by the radiant sunshine. Up on the clifftops, the powerful presence of the Notre-Dame-de-Bon-Secours chapel sits overlooking the harbour and the English Channel. The Notre-Dame-de-Bon-Secours chapel in Dieppe was built in 1876 for sailors who died at sea. Notre-Dame-de-Bon-Secours Chapel of Dieppe is situated 380 metres southwest of Dieppe Ferry Port. in a prominent position at what is probably the highest point in Dieppe on the Pollet Cliff, near the military observation post.
To the left of the church are the two white houses with red roofs that featured in the 1882 painting Cliff at Dieppe painted by the renowned artist Claude Monet. To its right is the Sémaphore de Dieppe, the lighthouse located at Chemin du Semaphore in Dieppe.
At the foot of the image, several French fishermen are taking a break from their work to watch and admire the Newhaven Steamer as it starts to move through the cool blue waters and pulls out of port. Food for thought perhaps as the latest steamship pulls away from their traditional fishing boats which bob up and down in the harbour.
The all-important information is detailed in bold, red letters against the black window frame border. The text reads – Paris-St Lazare à Londres et la Cote sud d’Angleterre par Dieppe et Newhaven Voie la plus economique. Services dejour et de soir. Grand Paquetbots & Turbines les plus rapides de la manche (TSF). The French wording translates into English as Paris-St Lazare to London and the South Coast of England via Dieppe and Newhaven The most economical route. Day and evening services. The fastest boat trains and turbine steamers.
Paris to London by Chemins de Fer de l’Etat et de Brighton
Railway services between the French and English capital cities began in the 19th century. The service made use of ‘boat trains’ to ferry the rail passengers across the English Channel. One of the best-known of these at the time was the famous Orient Express, which began its service in 1883. In 1926, the French railways introduced the Fleche d’Or, a first-class-only rail service that ran between Paris and the port of Calais. This was followed three years later, by Southern Railway’s equivalent service, the Golden Arrow, between Dover and London. The Golden Arrow/Flèche d’Or was introduced in the 1920s as a high-quality, luxurious daytime service. The service still required transferring to a ferry and a second train to complete the journey, but baggage handling had been simplified. By the 1930s, another service, the Night Ferry was introduced as an overnight train that went onto the ferry while you sleep.
In 1925, railway travel between London and Paris was still considered a luxury mode of transportation, and the majority of passengers using the service would have been affluent individuals. The cost of railway travel at that time was relatively high. Railway trips between Paris and London in 1925 would have included royalty, aristocrats, wealthy individuals, business travellers, diplomats & government officials, artists, intellectuals, and other affluent or influential people.
Dieppe owes much of its success as France’s first-ever seaside resort to the Dutchess of Berry. Marie-Caroline of Bourbon was a Naples-born Italian princess of the House of Bourbon. In 1816 she became part of the French royal family when she marryied Louie XVIII of France’s nephew, Charles Ferdinand, Duke of Berry. Caroline Berry was used to taking to the waters during her youth at Palermo. She was keen to bring the trend to France. In 1824, the Duchess played a significant role in popularising Dieppe as a seaside resort by creating a beach, ballroom, and theatre, attracting aristocrats from Paris.
Following English fashions, Parisians took to holidaying by the sea at Dieppe, with the first purpose-built Etablissement des Bains (or sea-bathing establishment) in France set up in 1822. With the introduction of the railway system, the French resort became a magnet for the British too. Aristocrats, wealthy businessmen and the bohemian artistic set appreciated the more relaxed atmosphere this side of the Channel during the Belle Epoque. The railway ensured the seaside resort could be reached in just 2-3 hours which made Dieppe popular with France’s own aristocratic tourists, while ferry links made it a much-appreciated first port of call for many British visitors.
According to the poster the service between Paris to London was jointly operated by the French State Railways and England’s London, Brighton and South Coast Railways which was also known as the LB&SCR or the Brighton Line. It also states that the service in 1925 offered the most economical route for travellers from Paris-St Lazare to London and the South Coast of England via Dieppe and Newhaven.
The rail journey between Paris and London would involve boarding a train at Gare St. Lazare in Paris. The Chemins de Fer de l’Etat offered two services every day. The morning service could be boarded for departure at 10.20 in the morning. An evening service was also available which left the station at 9.20 in the evening. The journey to Dieppe would include a stop at Rouen to pick up passengers before continuing on to the French port town. Typically this leg of the journey would take about 2-3 hours. Upon arrival at Dieppe, passengers would then board the Newhaven Ferry for the crossing of the English Channel. Ferries were operated by various companies such as the London, Brighton and South Coast Railway (LB&SCR), and the transfer and ferry journey would usually take several hours. Once in Newhaven, travellers could then catch a train operated by the LB&SCR to London Victoria Station, which was a major railway hub in London. The train journey from Newhaven to London could take several hours, depending on the route and stops. The return journey would be carried out in reverse.
Other railway posters from around the same time sometimes include ticket prices. Although this one doesn’t it is of interest to know that in 1911 three travel options were available. These First, Second and Third class journeys. One-way ticket prices ranged from 23F 25c for a 3rd Class one-way ticket and 48F 25c for a 1st Class single billet. Return tickets were offered at 41F 50c for the third class and 82 Francs 25c for the first class return. Considering the average weekly wage for a skilled French worker in 1925 was around 100-120 Francs per week and between 20 shillings and 40 shillings per week for skilled British workers it’s easy to see why the railways were the realm of the wealthy.
Other London travel posters
Tower Bridge has long been a source of inspiration for poster artists over the decades. Some popular examples include Rene Pean’s Paris à Londres poster featuring a Beefeater standing at the side of the River Thames with the iconic landmark ghosted in the background. Following a similar theme is a 1935 London-Reisen poster by Ottomar Anton that replaces the Yeoman Guard with a horse guard from the Household Cavalry. A vintage travel poster with a different view of the bridge is a turn-of-the-century poster produced for the Chemins de Fer de l’Ouest by H Colb. The view from up on the bridge itself is superb. The added humour of a policeman clearing up after the horses make it special!
Other vintage London posters focus more on London’s clock tower, now known as Elizabeth Tower, the home of the famous bell Big Ben. One such poster is Maurice Toussaint’s Visitez L’Angleterre travel poster that depicts The pageantry of The Opening of Parliament at Westminster or Toussaint’s London Paris á Londres poster print depicting London at the beginning of the 1900s. A poster for Southern Railway Londres by an unknown artist offers a bird’s eye view of the city with the clock tower featuring prominently. A poster for Qantas Airlines by Australian artist Harry Rogers also features the clock tower and the Houses of Parliament.
In 1946, Frank Mason produced a personal favourite featuring London’s St Paul’s Cathedral from across the River Thames for the Great Western Railway. It’s a superb image and a great-looking poster. As is James Bateman’s poster for the London and North Eastern Railway for their ongoing It’s Quicker By Rail advertising campaign. Ernest Coffin‘s ariel view of London for the GWR is a half map, half pictorial image, and is superb and well worth a mention. And we can’t leave this article without including Frank Mason’s London Pride poster portraying the scene down the River Thames towards the Houses of Parliament.
To be honest we currently have over 100 stunning London and London related posters on our website. So this isn’t the only one you’re going to love. Fly on over to the “Add to Basket” button then have a look for some more!
