Christie’s hits piste with classic Swiss posters

A 1937 poster of the Bernese resort of Gstaad is among over 250 works going under the hammer. Christie's

Rare vintage posters from the golden era of Swiss ski tourism are to be auctioned in London this week.

Christie’s auction house has collected over 250 classic posters, paintings and sculpture dating from the 1920s and 1930s.

The works, many done by some of Europe’s best artists of the time, were used to entice tourists to places such as St Moritz, Zermatt, Adelboden, Davos and Wengen.

Between the wars, winter sports became a popular holiday option for well-heeled Europeans, prompting resort companies and railways to commission artists for their graphic campaigns.

Since then, the works have become highly prized for their stylistic excellence and art deco flair.

Palace Hotel

A 1920 depiction of St Moritz’s Palace Hotel by Bernese graphic artist Emil Cardinaux is expected to fetch between SFr7,070 ($4,180) and SFr9,900.

Along with startling images of well-known Swiss resorts, the collection includes a 1930 poster advertising skiing in French-colonial Algeria, featuring an art deco skier alongside a palm tree.

The collection also features posters from North America, the French Alps, Norway and Spain.

The auction is part of Christie’s annual ski sale – now in its fifth year – and is expected to bring in almost SFr600,000.

by Jacob Greber