Title - The Permanent Way – Relaying.
Artist - Stanhope Alexander Forbes RA (1857-1947).
Description - A wonderful depiction of how railway tracks were maintained a century ago; a lot of manpower and pickaxes, and not a high-viz jacket in sight. At least they had their flat caps! A track gang is relaying track, with a passing train. The man in the foreground is a Look-Out, looking past us, monitoring train movements, with his green and red flags and whistle for alerting the team. This is one of the LMS (London Midland & Scottish Railway) Royal Academicians series from 1924, but in this case a re-issued printing from probably the early 1930s. The LMS did this with a number of their posters.
Year Published - 1930s reissue of 1924 poster.
Size - Quad Royal (approx 50 x 40in or 127 x 101.5cm).
Other Details:
Original Vintage LMS British Railway Travel Poster
E.R.O. 53351
Printed in Great Britain by Jordison & Co Ltd, London.
Condition Grade and Condition Report:
Grade: B+. un-conserved.
Folds, grubby edges, acid-free tape repairs to small edge tears and a paper infill to one hole-through in the man's jacket. More detailed photos are available on request if required.
More About The Artist:
Stanhope Alexander Forbes was born in Dublin to British and French parents. His father and older brother were both senior railway managers. He studied at Lambeth School of Art, the Royal Academy and then in France. There he learnt the 'en plein air' technique which he then took to Cornwall, and founded the Newlyn School of Art. He was not a commercial artist, so this was his only poster commission.