St Gervais les Bains Skiing Poster – Tous Les Sports d’Hiver – Le Teleferique St Gervais Mount D’Arbois – Roger Broders
We don’t know for sure, but we think the French artist Roger Broders must have loved skiing. There’s no way you could be commissioned to travel to French ski resorts, paid to create wonderful poster designs, see the joy the sport brings to the faces of the men and women taking part and not give it a go and fall in love with the sport. In this 1930 St Gervais les Bains Skiing Poster, the artist captures it all. From the envious look of the passengers on the teléferique overhead to the glee on the skier’s face as he descends the snowy mountain slope. The magnificent mountain scenery to the beautiful village buildings of St Gervais les Bains.
In 1936, and once again commissioned by the Paris-Lyon-Mediteranée Railway (PLM), Broders created this poster for the ski resort of St-Gervais-les-Bains. The resort had just opened its first teléferique or cable car and the PLM railway company seized on the chance to promote rail journeys to the resort in the wake of the publicity. Broders’s image depicts a scene of five skiers carving down the crisp, white, virgin snow in front of the stunning Mont Blanc mountain. The sight of the weaving through the snow has captured the attention of occupants of the Mont-Arbois cable car. The passengers with their wooden skis on the outside of the cable car can only watch in envious awe as the first skiers leave their tracks in the fresh snow. In the 1930s, the teleferique was a state-of-the-art facility that provided skiers with easy access to the slopes.
The skiers make their way down the mountain alongside the charming alpine town of St-Gervais-les-Bains renowned for its stunning views of Mont Blanc. Brooder’s view across the ancient wooded Alpine landscape towards the Mont Blanc massif is truly stunning. The funicular or tramway du Mont-Blanc can be seen making its way up the snow-covered mountains in the distance. The cog railway winds its way up from Saint-Gervais between meadows, pastures and small mountain lakes, via Les Houches to the Nid d’Aigle (The Eagle’s Nest) at 2,372m. It is, along with the Montenvers train in Chamonix, one of France’s last mountain rack-rail trains and is the highest railway in the Haute-Savoie department of France.
In addition to the Teleferique and the funicular, the poster also explains that the resort of St-Gervais-les-Bains has “patinoires” or ice rinks, and tremplins, which are ski jumps, which were popular attractions in the 1930s. These facilities provided visitors with a range of exciting activities to enjoy during their stay in the Alps.
St Gervais les Bains
In the 1930s, St Gervais les Bains was a charming alpine town that was rapidly gaining a reputation as a premier ski resort. Located in the French Alps, the town boasted a range of up-to-date facilities for winter sports enthusiasts. Through the winter months, St Gervais les Bains was a thriving ski resort. The town’s natural beauty and excellent snow conditions made it a popular destination for skiers looking for adventure and relaxation in the Alps.
The Telerifique St Gervais Mt d’Arbois is a cable car that has been a part of the St Gervais les Bains ski resort for over 80 years. It was built in 1934, and has played a significant role in the development of the resort. The cable car operated between St Gervais les Bains and the Mt d’Arbois ski area, transporting skiers and non-skiers alike to the top of the mountain in just a few minutes. The journey provided stunning views of the surrounding alpine landscape, including the Mont Blanc massif.
Mt d’Arbois is a stunning mountain located in the heart of the French Alps. It has an elevation of 1,830 meters, and its peak provides breathtaking views of the surrounding alpine landscape. Mt d’Arbois has long been a popular destination for skiers and snowboarders, thanks to its extensive network of ski runs and varied terrain. The mountain offers a wide range of pistes, from gentle beginner slopes to challenging black runs, making it suitable for skiers of all levels. In addition to skiing, Mt d’Arbois is also a popular destination for hiking and mountaineering in the summer months. The mountain has several hiking trails that provide stunning views of the surrounding landscape and opportunities to explore the alpine flora and fauna. The mountain has a rich history, and many of the chalets date back to the early 20th century when the area was first developed as a ski resort.
The text on the poster reads: Le Teleferique St Gervais-Mt D’Arbois. Tous les Sports d’Hiver. Funiculaire, Téléferiques, Patinoires, Tremplins. St Gervais les Bains.
Other Roger Broders vintage travel posters.
Roger Broders, the artist behind this Voges Skiing poster, was a renowned French illustrator and poster artist who gained fame in the early 20th century for his iconic travel posters. He was known for his distinctive style that often combined bold colours, dynamic compositions, and a sense of adventure, capturing the excitement and allure of travel destinations. Among his many works, Broders created several notable skiing posters that have become highly collectable and sought-after by art and skiing enthusiasts alike.
He created numerous posters, not only for the Chemins de Fer d’Alsace et de Lorraine but also for other French railway companies and travel agencies, during the early to mid-20th century. Broders’ distinctive style made his posters stand out and memorable. From 1922 to 1932, Broders fully dedicated himself to poster art, though overall he produced fewer than 100 posters many have become iconic images to poster enthusiasts.
Among the most beloved images of Broder’s works are those designed to advertise a group of villages in France that, thanks to the surge in popularity of skiing and winter sports, were rapidly evolving into fully-fledged ski resorts. These images often depicted winter sports scenes that encompassed various ski resorts. Examples include his 1929 Sports D’Hiver au Col De Vosa par St Gervais poster for the PLM railway company. It depicts a crowd of skiers disembarking from the Mont-Blanc tramway on the mountain slopes of Col De Vosa.
Another notable PLM skiing poster by Broders is titled “Les Sports d’hiver St Pierre de Chartreuse” The Chartreuse poster offers a wonderful view across the snow-covered landscape of the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region in southeastern France and features an enthralled crowd of spectators gathered to watch a downhill bobsleigh race.
Not all his winter scenes included winter sports of skiing. One of our favourite Roger Broder’s images is his 1930 La Savoie poster which features a simply stunning scene of a log cabin standing in the foothills of the magnificent La Grand Casse, the highest mountain of the Vanoise Massif in the Graian Alps.
It was only winter scenes that Broders created. Some of his most iconic posters featured the fashionable beaches of the Cote D’Azur. Two of his most loved poster designs are the 1928 Calvi Beach poster advertising the beautiful seaside resort in Corsica. It features the ‘Venus’ of Calvi, standing on the beach in the Corsican resort with Calvi’s sweeping bay of powdered white sand in the background. A personal favourite is the artist’s 1929 rendering of Monte Carl in which from his vantage point high up in the stands of the Monte Carlo Tennis Club the poster features a couple holding rackets, joining a large crowd of people watching tennis being played on the three courts below.
Broders’ skiing posters were not only visually appealing but also served as effective promotional tools for travel and tourism. They were often commissioned by the French railway companies, to promote a variety of destinations throughout France. Broders’ posters were highly successful in attracting tourists, both domestic and international, to these destinations, as they conveyed the excitement, beauty, and adventure of skiing in a visually captivating way. There’s one thing for sure Broder knew how to capture a moment.
How much is an original 1936 Roger Broders St Gervais Sports d’Hiver Poster worth?
Roger Broders, a French illustrator and poster artist, was known for his iconic travel posters that promoted various tourist destinations and modes of transportation in France. His distinctive style often featured bold, simplified forms, vivid colours, and a sense of movement, which made his posters eye-catching and memorable. The “Sports d’Hiver St Gervais les Bains” poster by Broders is a fine example of his work, showcasing the beauty and appeal of Mount D’Arbois as a winter sports destination in the 1930s.
Today, vintage travel posters like the one created by Roger Broders are highly sought after by collectors and art enthusiasts alike. They are appreciated for their artistic merit, historical significance, and nostalgic charm. Broders’ poster showcasing the Vosges Mountains as a winter sports destination remains a timeless piece of art that captures the allure and excitement of skiing in the 1930s. It serves as a reminder of the early days of winter tourism and the role of travel posters in promoting leisure and adventure in iconic destinations around the world. Today, it is considered a classic piece of art and a testament to the early days of winter tourism and the role of travel posters in promoting leisure and adventure destinations.
Many of Broders original stone lithographed prints fetch thousands of pounds when they appear at public auction or private sale. This rare and highly sought-after St Gervais Skiing Poster is no exception. An original copy was put up for auction in 2012 and achieved a price peaking at £9,750. More recently, another Broders A-rated St Gervais poster appeared at auction in 2020 with a guide price of between £4,500 and £9,000. Although we don’t know what the final hammer price was, it seems that the 2020 offering had unusually not increased in value in the eight-year gap.
There’s no denying it – being able to own your own original Swiss skiing poster must feel as good as a thrilling downhill ski. If you can find an original print and can afford to buy it, you’re almost certainly on to a winner. The allure of owning a piece of ski history, with its timeless charm and artistic beauty, is truly aspirational. And, as an investment, chances are in just a few years you’ll be able to sell it for more than you paid for it.
However, for most of us, even at entry-level prices many of these rare collectables are as out of reach as a double black diamond ski run or owning our own luxury ski chalet. Let’s face it, £12,000 for an original Roger Broders Skiing poster could be three or four good family skiing holidays for most skiing enthusiasts!
This is where our stunning high-quality reproductions come into their own. They offer a compelling alternative allowing you to indulge in the beauty and nostalgia of vintage ski art without breaking the bank. Our stunning, superb reproductions capture the essence of the original artwork, with crisp details and vibrant colours that are sure to make a statement when framed and hung in your home. Our reproductions are not just affordable alternatives to originals, but a great way to elevate your home decor and showcase your love for skiing in a truly unique and aspirational way. Order yours today! You won’t be disappointed.
