Victoria Falls poster – Zambezi, Rhodesia – c1935
This is a fantastic reproduction of a vintage Rhodesia travel poster featuring an image of the spectacular Victoria Falls. The waterfall is located on the Zambia/Zimbabwe border within two national parks, the Mosi-oa-Tunya National Park and Victoria Falls National Park.
Despite being neither the highest nor the widest waterfall in the world, Victoria Falls are classified as the largest, based on its combined width of 1,708m and height of 108m, resulting in the world’s largest sheet of falling water. The Victoria Falls are approximately twice the height of North America’s famous Niagara Falls and more than twice its width.
To locals, the waterfall is known as Mosi-oa-Tunya – “The Smoke That Thunders”. It was given its name Victoria Falls, by the Scottish explorer David Livingstone in 1885.
In addition to being an explorer, Livingstone was a physician, pioneer of Christian missionary, scientist, imperial reformer and anti-slave crusader.
He was one of the most popular and celebrated British heroes of the 19 late 19th-century. His ‘rags to riches’ rise from a working-class background along with his work as a Protestant missionary martyr, science investigator and his expeditions in Africa, provided Livingstone with almost mythical status.
When David Livingstone first viewed the Victoria Falls he described the scenes as “So lovely they must have been gazed upon by angels in their flight.” This spectacular vintage Rhodesia poster gives us a glimpse of what it must have been like.
The poster was issued to promote Victoria Falls, one of the Seven Natural Wonders of the World, as a travel destination. The poster reads: Zambezi, Rhodesia. It also incorporates two further cameo texts. The first, in the top right of the poster, at the waterfall’s upper section the text reads ‘Watch the Earth breathe. In the bottom left-hand corner, at the foot of the waterfall, another caption reads ‘Listen to a Country’s pulse’. The poster was printed in Salisbury, South Rhodesia. It is a well sought after poster and original copies command an asking price of close to £3000.
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.
