Nikki MitchellTorrential rain, flooding, high winds and now the weather is set even colder by the end of this week with the threat of show – this year’s weather has been bizarre to say the least. Summer was the second wettest since records began and the Telegraph have dubbed it the “the weirdest weather on record” this week, and now a new art exhibition is York will be celebrating the inventive advertising railways used to get us leave the house and brave the elements.
This weekend “Whatever the Weather” opens to the public at the National Railway Museum (NRM), displaying more than 40 posters from their national collections, which date from the 1920s right up until 1999.
The exhibit will show how railways have given passengers imaginative reasons to leave their houses in the colder months and pry themselves away from warmth of sitting by the fire or curling up with a hot water bottle.
Ellen Tait, interpretation developer at the National Railway Museum, said: ‘Whatever the Weather showcases some amazing posters from our collection. The railway companies used cutting edge design to play on our desire to escape the often cold and grey British winter. The unpredictable nature of weather affects us all and even the oldest posters are as relevant today as they were nearly a century ago. Whether you are a railway fan or an art lover, this promises to be a fantastic experience.’
Earlier in the year VisitScotland announced a £3 million autumn advertising campaign to target families who had postponed their holidays due to bad weather. And according to leading holiday companies there has 20 per cent increase in Brits booking holidays to warmer shores due to this year’s poor summer.
Many of posters featured in the NRM’s exhibit have not been on public since joining the national collection. These works of art were produced by railway companies to romanticise autumn and winter, showing how it could be stunning and beautiful, while highlighting the dangers of using alternative modes of transports.
Some of the posters in the display explain faults and delays that the winter conditions caused that the rail companies were promoting.
This is the fifth exhibition displayed at the museum’s art gallery which opened in July 2011. “Whatever the Weather” exhibit is free and runs from 27 October to 3 March.
