Friday, 20 December 2013

VINTAGE POSTERS DISCOVERY

Collection of vintage posters worth £15,000 from the Golden Age of British travel is found under carpet of a rundown house

  • A property developer discovered the posters underneath the carpet of a house he was renovating in Edinburgh
  • The 1940s posters advertise resorts around the UK - such as Harrogate, Blackpool and Brighton
  • Each of the ten posters, which are in mint condition is expected to fetch upwards of £1,500
A set of vintage posters from the 1940s has been found hidden underneath a tatty old carpet in a run-down property and they are now expected to go for £15,000 at auction.
A property developer discovered the fascinating set of vintage posters from the golden age of British rail travel underneath a carpet in a house he was renovating.
The posters, which are in mint condition, date back to the late 1940s and advertise seaside resorts around the country that could be visited by rail.
It is thought the collection of 10 posters belonged to a railway worker who used them to line the floorboards of his house in Edinburgh around 60 years ago.

Discovery: This staycation poster from the 1940s, which attempts to entice travellers to visit Southend-on-Sea, was one of ten found hidden underneath the carpet of house being renovated
Discovery: This staycation poster from the 1940s, which attempts to entice travellers to visit Southend-on-Sea, was one of ten found hidden underneath the carpet of house being renovated
Retro: The posters, which advertise locations around the UK which could be visited by rail in the 1940s, are all in near perfect condition
Retro: The posters, which advertise locations around the UK which could be visited by rail in the 1940s, are all in near perfect condition

Despite being worthless then, the posters are now much sought after - and experts have tipped to sell for upwards of £1,500 each.
Many were issued by the British Railway Executive, the nationalised body that went on to become British Rail.
Resorts featured include Southend-on-Sea, Blackpool, the Isle of Man, Brighton and Hove and a string of destinations in Norfolk.
They are in such good condition that experts suspect they were never put on display.
The collection is tipped to fetch £15,000 when it goes under the hammer at Onslows in Blandford, Dorset.

The anonymous seller said: 'We were clearing out an end terrace property that we had just bought in Edinburgh in preparation for refurbishment.
'It was an old-style house that was badly in need of modernisation. To our surprise, as we were ripping up the carpets, we found this set of posters underneath.

Visit Brighton & Hove: Each of the ten posters discovered by a property developer in a house in Edinburgh is expected to fetch upwards of £15,000 at auction
Visit Brighton & Hove: Each of the ten posters discovered by a property developer in a house in Edinburgh is expected to fetch upwards of £15,000 at auction
The new Brighton: This poster for Wallasey in Cheshire attempts to lure tourists away from Brighton
The new Brighton: This poster issued by British Railways attempts to lure tourists away from Brighton to Wallasey in Cheshire

'It’s quite common for people to put newspaper underneath carpet to stop dust coming up through the floorboards but one previous owner opted for something more robust.

'I’ve found plenty of unpleasant things under old carpets but never something like this of historical and monetary value.

'My guess is that he worked for the railways in Edinburgh and had access to these posters, which at the time weren’t worth anything.

'After we had got them all up I did a bit of research and found out they are worth quite a bit. It’s a nice bonus on top of buying the house.'
Patrick Bogue, auctioneer, said: 'The are posters were produced by the Railway Executive, the forerunner to British Rail, advertising holiday destinations around the country.

Hidden from view: It is believed the posters, including this one of Harrogate in Yorkshire, were never put on display because they are in such good condition
Hidden from view: It is believed the posters, including this one of Harrogate in Yorkshire, were never put on display because they are in such good condition
Piece of history: The posters would have been issued shortly after the end of the Second World War when rail travel was being promoted again
Piece of history: The posters would have been issued shortly after the end of the Second World War when rail travel was being promoted again

'During the Second World War people had been encouraged not to travel by rail unless necessary but in the years immediately afterwards it was being promoted again.

'The posters are all seaside holiday destinations that would have been accessible from Edinburgh.

'They were a little bit dirty from all the years under the carpets but they have been given a clean and now they’re immaculate.

'The colours are as bright as they were the day they were printed so I suspect the posters were never displayed.
'They are a great snapshots of the last days of the golden age of British rail travel.'
The sale is being held on December 20th.

Bygone age: The posters were left in the house by a former owner who worked on the railways
Bygone age: The posters were left in the house by a former owner who worked on the railways 60 years ago
Advertisement: The posters, which were used to help promote train travel for leisure, are due to go on sale on Friday
Advertisement: The posters, which were used to help promote train travel for leisure, are due to go on sale on Friday
Rare: A poster advertising the Naval Spithead Review in 1937 is one of the earliest in the collection
Rare: A poster advertising the Naval Spithead Review in 1937 is one of the earliest in the collection