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By Lorna Hogger on

‘Winter Rambles’ poster gives us a complete set

It may not seem the perfect time of year for a bit of rambling, but a Southern Railways poster acquired this week aims to attract the hardier among us to the great outdoors.

The poster ‘Conducted Rambles, Winter’ is one of a series of four posters produced by Southern Railways in the mid 1930s to encourage people to enjoy the countryside. Each poster uses a farming image to highlight the seasonal changes, along with a hedgerow of seasonal plants and small animals along the bottom of each image.

Poster, Southern Railways, ‘Conducted Rambles, Winter'
Poster, Southern Railways, ‘Conducted Rambles, Winter’ by Audrey Weber

Scenes of hardworking farmers out in the fields represent local characters that ramblers may see when out walking. Railway companies often used character types when advertising resorts or regions to attract tourists; images of people in regional or traditional dress were regularly used to give the idea of a quaint and peaceful rural lifestyle.

The gentleman chosen to represent Winter is an unusual-looking fellow on horseback, bounding through a wintery landscape. This new acquisition completes the group in the NRM’s collection and we are pleased that it is currently winging its way to us.

There are many more posters to browse through in the Railway Posters section of the main website.

Poster, Southern Railways, ‘Conducted Rambles, Spring’ by Audrey Weber, 1936
Poster, Southern Railways, ‘Conducted Rambles, Summer
Poster, Southern Railways, ‘Conducted Rambles, Summer’ by Audrey Weber, 1936
Poster, Southern Railways, ‘Conducted Rambles, Summer’
Poster, Southern Railways, ‘Conducted Rambles, Summer’ by Audrey Weber, 1936

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