Landmark poster event for Winchcombe station

A MAJOR exhibition of the work of Laurence Fish – hailed as Britain’s last great poster artist – is to be staged by the Gloucestershire Warwickshire Railway over July 10/11.

The Posters from the Steam Age event is free to enter and will take place in the new Tim Mitchell building on Platform 1 at Winchcombe station. Three new short films by local cinematographer Richard Suckling, celebrating the railway and aviation art of the Gloucestershire artist, who lived in Winchcombe, will also be screened during the exhibition.

Laurence Fish was the last of a long line of celebrated artists commissioned to create art to promote compelling destinations served by rail, on outdoor posters.

His images, produced in the 1960s as the age of steam was coming to an end, are evocative reminders of the days when many families enjoyed travelling by train to their holiday resorts. They were displayed throughout the UK and Europe and are now sought-after collectors’ items, often selling for four-figure sums.

Career

He started his artistic career designing coachwork for bespoke coupé and saloon cars for the likes of Alvis, Bentley and Delahaye. During the Second World War, his illustrative skills were sought after, particularly in counter-sabotage work for MI5 – producing sectional drawings showing the internal workings of lethal explosive devices and boobytrapped bombs to enable them to be safely detected and defused. Some of these drawings, including an exploding bar of chocolate, will be displayed during the exhibition.

After the war, he became an acclaimed commercial artist, skilfully creating almost photographic-quality images of aircraft for magazines and aircraft makers, as well as scenes promoting industry including oil, civil engineering and rail travel. One of his posters won the 1960 National Outdoor Advertising Award.

The late artist’s wife Jean Bray, who is organising the event in conjunction with the heritage line, said: “It was in poster art for BR that Laurence perhaps made his mark with some stunning if idealised paintings of holiday destinations, frequently featuring attractive pin-up girls. That would never be permitted today!

“Most were produced in full colour while he created compelling duo-tone images too, for example promoting the Pullman services of the Southern Region.

“Laurence was a romantic with an eager, inquiring mind which really translated into his art. Nevertheless, he was also quite a modest and private man which is perhaps why he isn’t as well-known as he should be.”

Jean has produced a fine-art book titled Pick Up a Pencil, containing hundreds of reproductions of Laurence’s commercial as well as fine art in watercolour and oils, and will be signing copies of the book during the event.

Awareness

Railway chairman Richard Johnson said: “I’m thrilled that we can do a little to promote the work of Laurence Fish through the Posters from the Steam Age exhibition, especially as during his later years his studio was in Winchcombe. It’s unlikely that his posters appeared on our railway stations as they had closed from 1960 just as Laurence’s work was being widely commissioned by BR, so this is a chance to right that omission!”

The event was postponed last year due to the pandemic. As car parking is limited, it is best to travel by train to the station – just as Laurence’s posters urged people to do – from Cheltenham Racecourse, Toddington or Broadway.

➜ Full details of services are at www.gwsr.com