Original Vintage Poster Ski Race St. Moritz Switzerland

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Original Vintage Poster Ski Race St. Moritz Switzerland

About the Item

Original Vintage Swiss Avantgarde Poster created in 1933 by Walter Herdeg (1908 – 1995) and printed in 1934 by the Art. Institut Orell Füssli in Zurich as an intaglio to promote the alpine skiing race at the beginning of 1934 in St. Moritz. The first actual alpine skiing races – i. e. organized by the International Ski Federation (FIS, Fédération Internationale de Ski) – did not take place until 1931 (in Mürren in the Bernese Oberland, by the way), as the FIS, which then was dominated by the Scandinavians, did not recognize the alpine disciplines until 1930. Before that, the prevailing opinion in the federation was that alpine skiing was a bizarre quirk of the English (who, as you can see, also seemed to be wearing ties on the slopes). “Anyone who simply wants to ski down a slope is obviously too lazy for proper cross-country skiing and too cowardly for a jump over the hill,” they said. In 1934, the FIS races were held in St. Moritz – for which Walter Herdeg created this rare original poster (using a photograph by Andreas Pedrett) at the end of 1933. The term “World Ski Championships” was not officially used by the FIS until 1937. Walter Herdeg pioneered – together with Herbert Matter – through his early use of photography a new aesthetic in the tourism poster of the mid-30s. Additionally he designed the laughing sun (not visible on this poster) that Walter Amstutz, then the spa's director of tourism, patented in four variants as a trademark. Complemented by the slanted (and also trademarked) lettering in varying colors (here in dark red), St. Moritz thus became the first tourism destination ever to have its own visual identity (that is still in use, by the way – after almost 90 years!). This scarce and collectible original poster is in excellent condition with only two tiny tears (each ca. 1 cm) in the right and upper margin, without any folds and, especially, without any abrasion that is quite common when it's about intaglio prints. So no matter if you are a collector of rare original posters or you are looking for a statement piece to decorate your place: This poster is an eye-catcher and satisfies both needs.

Creator:
Walter Herdeg (Artist)
Dimensions:
Height: 40.16 in (102 cm)Width: 25.01 in (63.5 cm)Depth: 0.04 in (1 mm)
Materials and Techniques:
Paper
Place of Origin:
Switzerland
Period:
1930-1939
Date of Manufacture:
1934
Condition:
Wear consistent with age and use. This collectible original poster is in excellent condition despite its 90 years: only two short tears in the upper and right margin (each ca. 1 cm – see the pictures), no folds, no creases, vibrant colors; rare and a museum piece in this condition.
Seller Location:
Zurich, CH
Reference Number:
1stDibs: LU9792239464942