Summer Services Southern Electric poster – Chas Pears – 1937

Summer Services Southern Electric poster – Chas Pears – 1937

This is a reproduction of a vintage Southern Railway poster advertising Summer Services For Winter Visitors to Portsmouth, Southsea and Isle of Wight. The vintage  railway poster was created by Charles Pears in 1937. The image of the poster features a an electric multiple unit taking the right hand bend, past the tree-covered hill of Head Down towards the opening of Buriton Tunnel in Hampshire. The text at the foot of the poster reads “Southern Electric – Summer Services For Winter Visitors to Portsmouth, Southsea and Isle of Wight” coupled with the new Southern Railway lightning flash logo.

With just 2,186 miles (3,518 km) of rail track, the Southern Railway was the smallest of the Big Four railway companies and, unlike the others, the majority of its revenue came from passenger traffic rather than freight. It created what was at that time the world’s largest electrified main line railway system and with the London-Brighton line, the first electrified inter-city route.

The railway was noted for its astute use of public relations and an extensive use of railway posters to promote the companies services to destinations across the South Coast. It became a regular custom to issue a poster to advertise each stage of the network’s electrification progress.

Original copies of this fantastic poster sell for in excess of £1200.

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.