Classic ‘Race’ Posters

I love old cycling posters. They capture something that seems missing in today’s multimedia always online world. Perhaps its because they portray a past that didn’t really exist, a golden age of cycle racing where Olympian ideals of fair play held sway. Perhaps it’s because I have a greater appreciation for art that’s produced manually with pen and brush, ink and paint, than I have for digital images manipulated by software. Mainly it’s just because I like the imagery. Here are a few of my favourites.

Diamant cycles advert celebrating Maurice Garin’s Paris-Brest-Paris victory, 1901

Meteore cycles advert celebrating the 1925 Tour de France

1927 Tour de France poster

1936 Tour de France poster

Vuelta Ciclista a Cataluna poster 1943

Vuelta Ciclista a Cataluna poster 1944

Vuelta Ciclista a Cataluna poster 1951

Cyclo-Cross World Championships poster 1952

Peace race poster 1954

Championship of Spain poster 1957

Peace Race poster 1959

Cycling World Championships poster 1962

Cycling World Championships poster 1962

Vuelta a Espana poster 1965

Cylco-Cross World Championships poster 1965