Skegness is so Bracing poster, The Jolly Fisherman poster – Portrait

Skegness Is So Bracing Poster – John Hassall

One of the most famous railway posters ever printed, “Skegness Is So Bracing” was commissioned by Great Northern Railway. The original oil painting was created by artist John Hassall who was paid 12 Guineas (about £1,600 today) to produce what has become an image so iconic that is impossible to separate it from the town of  Skeggy itself. The poster famously depicts a fisherman skipping along the beach, with the slogan “Skegness is SO bracing”.  Hassall’s original painting now hangs in Skegness Town Hall.

Over the years several versions of the poster have been produced. This one with a black border was produced by the London and North Eastern Railway (LNER) in 1908 to encourage rail travel to the bracing seaside resort. Another version produced as part of the LNER’s ongoing ‘It’s Quicker by Rail’ advertising campaign was created in 1908.  That version features the Jolly Fishermen being pulled along the beach by a young boy.

The Jolly Fisherman

Before the railway arrived in 1875, Skegness was primarily a fishing village and small port. Hassall’s now-famous Jolly Fisherman poster, coupled with the strapline “Skegness is SO bracing” promoted the first excursion to Scarborough from King’s Cross in London. It’s widely considered to have put Skegness well and truly on the map attracting significant numbers of tourists to the seaside town.

In 1989 a Jolly Fisherman statue, based on the Hassall’s figure featured on the famous poster, was erected in Compass Gardens. The train station in Skegness also boasts a statue of the carefree fisherman.

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 a 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 £12. So you can bag a bargain of print and frame for a great price.