Fleche D’Or Poster – Vintage Railway Poster – Paris to London Wall Art – Shep
The Fléche D’Or rail service between Paris and Calais was the French North Railway’s equivalent of Southern Railway’s famous Golden Arrow service from London to Dover. Although completely separate railway companies the railways worked together to provide a complete high-quality, end-to-end rail service between the two nation’s capital cities. And just like the Golden Arrow, la Fleche D’Or was considered one of the most alluring and opulent trains of its time. This art deco influenced Fleche D’Or Pullman Poster offers a symbol of the luxury, glamour, affluence and romance of a bygone era.
The train ran between Paris, France and London, England during the early 20th Century. This stunning Fleche D’Or Pullman Poster for the Frtench railway company Chemin de Fer du Nord captures the art deco charm of the 1920s – a time when wealthy people enjoyed unsurpassed quality and grandeur in their travels aboard this magnificent train. Even today, the name evokes a feeling of reverence for the golden age of railroads and all that it held dear. The bright, eye-catching poster was created by the English artist Charles ‘Shep’ Shepherd and published by Southern Railway Advertising to promote rail services between Paris and Londres.
The poster capitalises on the use of the Fleche D’Or emblem that adorned the front of the locomotives that hauled the famous train. In this case, the arrow is made up of decreasing-sized layers in graduating, eye-catching colours from red to bright yellow. The poster is one of a pair designed by the artist. This is a reproduction of the French half of the pair of posters. The arrow is set on a black background representing a nighttime journey. In the arrow is the French train, la Fléche d’Or depicted heading north.
The Text on the poster reads Le Nouveau Service de la Fléche D’Or. Train de luxe Pullman avec bateau specialment reserve fonction nera a partir du 15 Mai, which translates into English as “The new service of the Golden Arrow. Luxury Pullman train with the specially reserved boat leaving May 15.” The text also relays details about sailing times and the time the new service will save the traveller. It states the French locomotive will leave the Gare du Nord station in Paris at 12.00 and arrive at London’s Victoria railway station at 18.35… a gaining of 40 minutes in time. The return journey leaves London at 11.00 and arrives in Paris at 17.35 saving another 20 minutes on previous sailing times.
The English half of the pair, which can be seen here, features an illustration of Southern Railway’s steamer inside the yellow arrow. The steamer, the Canterbury, is heading south for Calais, making its way across the channel with its first-class paying customers onboard. The poster’s white background depicts a daytime crossing. The text adds the information that passengers leave London Victoria station at 11.00 and arrive at Paris Nord at 5.40. The two posters make a fabulous pairing and look superb together.
Southern Railway and the Golden Arrow train
The Golden Arrow was a luxury boat train introduced by Southern Railway to offer a first-class service between London and Paris via Dover and Calais. It was a service that had been preceded by Southern’s Continental Express boat train service that was introduced on 14 November 1924. Inspired by the high standards, opulence and international fame garnered by two other European train services, the Orient Express and Le Train Bleu. The Continental Express was designed to be the height of luxury, with six first-class Pullman cars, a baggage car and a brake van.
The French followed Southern’s lead over the Continental Express and launched an all-Pullman train between Paris and Calais in 1926 giving it the title of Fléche d’Or. It offered a first-class only service between the capital city of Paris and the French port of Calais. Its success saw Southern Railway introduce an equivalent service between London Victoria and Dover in 1926. At the same time launching the Canterbury as a new cross-channel ferry for first class only passengers.
The Golden Arrow made its first through journey on 15 May 1929. The train consisted of 10 Pullman cars and luggage vans, hauled by one of the Southern Railway’s Lord Nelson class locomotives. The Golden Arrow insignia appeared on the front of each locomotive. It consisted of a large round, green disc with the name of the service signwritten on it. Over the top a Golden Arrow was positioned at roughly 45 degrees travelling through the two letter O’s. The Pullman carriages were individually named, resplendent in chocolate and cream each bearing the words Golden Arrow painted in gold above the windows.
The journey from London to Dover took 98 minutes. An hour and a half spent in exquisite relaxing surroundings, with first-class service. According to an article by Lorraine on the doverhistorian website “The interior was panelled with exotic woods inlaid with decorated marquetry and gilt fittings. The floor was thickly carpeted and at each window were plush curtains. There was a parlour car, which was furnished with well-upholstered, free-standing armchairs, each one facing another across a table for two. There were two rows of these on either side of a central gangway. On each table was a freshly laundered tablecloth, and a lamp with a silk warm coloured shade resembling an inverted tulip. On board was the ‘Trianon’ cocktail bar, a converted twelve-wheeled Pullman modelled on a high-class club for the rich. The train also boasted of the first public address system and passengers were addressed in both English and French. The train also had electric lighting, steam heating and air-conditioning. The name of each carriage was painted in an ornamental frame below the windows.
At Dover. passengers would alight from the train and transfer to the first-class only steamer, the Canterbury for the cross-channel sailing. Then, once at Calais, they would transfer again to the Chemins de Fer du Nord railway on board the Fléche d’Or. The poster announces in large letters that the overall journey to Paris takes just 6 and a half hours.
The Golden Arrow which once linked London and Paris had style and panache which made it one of the most glamorous and famous trains in the world.
