Wednesday, April 3, 2013

C is for Chamonix-Mount Blanc. The Golden Age of Travel Posters

Chamonix - Mount-Blanc, France, the home of the first Winter Olympics, January 25th through February 5, 1924.  Chamonix is also called the "Death Sport Capital of the World."  (When I research information about these countries and artists, there is always something unusual to uncover).  

Why "The Death Sport Capital"?  If you visit Chamonix, you can participate in:
mountain climbing, extreme skiing, paragliding, rafting, ice climbing, all of which have risks, but the name is still chilling.

Chamonix is one of the oldest ski resorts in France and you can see by the ruggedness of the mountains,  that any of these sports in that area would be a challenge, and not for wimps like me.  (I think I would sit in a cafe, have a glass of wine and people watch).  The area was also the setting of a James Bond film, The World is Not Enough.  To have some idea of why it might be called "The Death Sport Capital of the World," I included a You Tube video link from the movie.

http://youtu.be/bwWD9mUyQuE 


Christie's, the famous auction house, listed this poster in one of their auctions,  estimated price, 2 to 3 thousand pounds.  Vintage posters are a good investment, especially if you found one or two in a dusty antique store or in a relative's attic.

The artist, Auguste Matisse, (1866-1963) is not well-known.


Auguste Matisse.  Winter Olympics, 1924.  Dover Press

14 comments:

  1. Love your theme, and that poster is spectacular!

    Look forward to the rest of your challenge posts!
    Damyanti @Daily(w)rite
    Co-host, A to Z Challenge 2013

    Twitter: @AprilA2Z
    #atozchallenge

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    1. Thank you. There is so much to learn from them and the time period.

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  2. i know, it is amazing how valuable some old posters can be---lovely :)

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  3. Hi Lynn, always good to have you stop by.

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  4. The 1924 Olympics must have had an air of surrealism--to be the first winter olympics. The poster--love that era and style.

    From the A to Z, a new follower!!

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  5. I do too. What is interesting is that the eagle? is not red in the Christie's auction, he is brown. The artist makes the bird look very powerful, especially clutching the French flag -- oh the symbolism. Thanks for being a new follower.

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  6. Hi and thanks for following my blog. I love your header photo, so dramatic

    Gill x

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    1. Hi Gill -- I like the header as well. Alaska is an amazing place.

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  7. What a cool poster! Nice theme :)

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    1. Hard to think of a theme sometimes, but it does help to keep you focused. I did not have one last year and I was all over the place with topics.

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  8. so interesting!!! love the history lesson and the poster. My college son is in France for a few weeks and wants to go skiing....I am here in the states saying no!!
    I am your newest follower..pls follow back if you can.
    loving reading the AZ challenges!

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  9. I hope you are able to visit your son, what a good excuse. The skiing is fabulous.

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  10. The bird makes me think of the Gray Jays that hung around the dining decks up on Copper Mountain back in my skiing days. Their great-grand-Jays have no doubt learned to sneak treats there.

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  11. They are very clever birds. I remember the ones in Yellowstone lifting the flaps up from snowmobile packs to get food.

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