As a contribution to Railway 200, the 200th anniversary of passenger-carrying railways celebrated this year, Michael Willmot is presenting a history of railways as revealed by railway posters across two centuries.
From the earliest days of rail travel, poster advertising was used to encourage people to take the train. Through the artwork of, and captions on, such posters we can catch a glimpse of not just the advances in engineering and in design, but also the contemporary social concerns addressed in the advertising slogans. But if you are not so interested in the history there is much to admire in the work of a glittering array of artists and poster designers stretching over a 200 year period.
For 20 years Michael chaired the North Staffs Community Rail Partnership and currently serves as secretary of the Far North Line Community Rail Partnership. He has rescued and restored the derelict, listed station building at Helmsdale – including, of course, reinstating poster cases that can display some historic railway posters.
Venue – Timespan, Helmsdale
Date – 5th July 2025
Time – 11 am
