Château D’Oex Suisse, Chemin de Fer M.O.B. poster
A classic Alex Walter Digglemann poster promoting the Swiss ski resort of Chateau D’Oex. The poster was produced by the Suisse Chemins de Fer MOB and depicts an image within the popular ski resort at the foot of the Swiss Alps. A couple across the other side of the snow-covered valley are taking a well-earned rest and are waving towards us. The long shadows in front of them suggest the bright sun is low in the sky. This is supported by the fact that the woman ‘with us’ is covering her eyes to be able to see them. I’ll be honest I can see them from here and I’ve got bad eyes, so I think the woman in the yellow top might need to go to Specsavers!
As I said, the poster is classic Digglemann, with bold, bright colours, crisp lines, and a sense of fun. It’s also incredibly well-sought after. However, at the time of listing (2021), there was an original copy available for sale on an American online poster site. Despite this, (it’s probably gone now anyway) this poster is very rare and as such the copy for sale was listed in a price bracket of between $15,000-$50,000.
Château D’Oex
The beautiful village of Chateau d’Oex is situated about halfway between the small town of Gruyéres in Fribourg and the classy ski resort of Gstaad in the Bernese Oberland. It is situated at around 1000 metres in altitude, in the picturesque valley of the Pays d’Enhaut in the Vaud region of the Swiss Alps.
The wide sunny high alpine valley in which the village is located, known as the Pays d’Enhaut, has been farmed for a millennium or more and many of the old Swiss chalets are centuries old. Until the 1900s, many of the Bernese highland villages in the Alps were small, quiet rural settlements where local farmers lived during the summer months. It was an area the farming community would take their cows and sheep to graze during the summer months. In fact, the very word ‘alp’ means a high mountain meadow, an open patch of grassland and flowers. Chateaux d’Oex was one such village.
Chemin de Fer Montreux-Oberland-Bernese Railway
It wasn’t until the opening of the Montreux-Oberland-Bernese Railway (MOB) that Château-d’Œx became an attractive summer resort but by 1904, it had also established itself as a winter ski resort as well, particularly popular among English tourists.
The Montreux-Oberland-Bernese Railway (MOB) was opened in five stages. The first stage, from Montreux to Les Avants opened in 1901. It would be four years later, in 1905 before the final stretch to Zweisimmen was opened. Chemin de fer Montreux Oberland Bernois, as it is known in Germany, is one of the oldest electric railways in the country and it services the 62km between Montreux and Zweisimmen.
Our posters are carefully and professionally created from vintage originals. Whilst great care is taken in the production of these posters, we also try to maintain a vintage feel, so there may be small imperfections, fold marks, scuffs, tears, or marks that were part of the original poster master. If these do appear they should be visible on the larger views of the item on this listing. The originals of many of the posters we offer can cost many thousands of pounds, so whilst these posters look great, especially framed and mounted on a wall, they are intended as fun, affordable reproductions and not intended fine art prints.
The 50x70cm version has been specially produced to be used in conjunction with Ikea’s 50x70cm Ribba picture frame which currently retails for around £15. So you can bag a bargain of print and frame for a great price.
