The history of the railway in posters - secretary of Far North Line Community Rail Partnership to give presentation at Helmsdale in celebration of Railway 200
A fascinating insight into the history of the railway will be given at an event in Helmsdale tomorrow, Saturday, July 5.
Michael Willmot is to give a PowerPoint presentation entitled “Railway History Told Through Posters” at Timespan Museum and Arts Centre from 11am.
The event forms part of ‘Railway 200’, a celebration of the 200th anniversary of the modern railway.
Mr Willmot served as chairperson of the North Staffs Community Rail Partnership for 20 years and is currently the secretary of the Far North Line Community Rail Partnership (FNLCRP).
He restored the derelict listed station building at Helmsdale and established a community interest company to look after it.
During his presentation he will show around 80 poster images, including over a dozen created by Royal Academicians.
He will begin with the advert for the first “experimental” passenger train and conclude with posters from the 1960s. After this period, the artistic quality of posters significantly declined as advertising budgets were diverted towards TV adverts.
Mr Willmot said: “From the earliest days of rail travel, poster advertising was used to encourage people to take the train.
“Through the artwork and captions on such posters, we can catch a glimpse not only of advances in engineering and design but also of contemporary social concerns addressed in the advertising slogans.
“But even if you are not so interested in history, there is much to admire in the work of a glittering array of artists and poster designs stretching over a 200-year period.”
