Loterie Nationale Week End 1939 SNCF Frenc Railway Lottery Poster, Edgar Derouet and Charles Lesacq

Celebrate the golden age of travel and design with the Loterie Nationale Week-End 1939 SNCF poster — a vibrant creation by renowned French artists Edgar Derouet and Charles Lesacq. Commissioned by the French National Lottery, this striking Art Deco-style piece was designed to promote a special “railway” draw in 1939, capturing the thrill of weekend getaways by train.

With its dynamic imagery of a man racing to catch his train, the poster perfectly embodies the spirit of adventure and spontaneity. More than just a lottery advertisement, it’s a nostalgic snapshot of pre-war France — when the promise of a quick escape and a bit of luck could turn an ordinary weekend into something unforgettable.

Originally launched in 1933, the French National Lottery quickly won the hearts of the public. This particular draw offered lucky winners the chance to enjoy a railway weekend escape, blending the excitement of travel with the hope of fortune.
A must-see for lovers of vintage travel art, French history, and timeless design.

▼France has a long and rich history in poster design that dates back to the mid-19th century.... CLICK TO READ MORE

One of the most influential figures in the development of vintage posters was the French poster artist Jules Chéret. Around 1866, Chéret is credited with producing the first colour lithograph posters, using a technique he refined from the black and white process first invented by German actor and playwright Alois Senefelder in 1798. Cheret's three stone lithographic process allowed artists to achieve every colour in the rainbow using just three stones - usually red, yellow and blue - printed in careful registration.

The Parisian artists, headed by Cheret and including masters Steinlen, Willette, Grasset, Bonnard, Forain and, last but certainly not least, Toulouse-Lautrec's vibrant and eye-catching designs influenced, in part, by Japanese Woodcuts brought a new level of visual appeal to the streets of Paris and, in turn, established the poster as an art form.

The Belle Époque (Beautiful Era), a period of peace and frivolity in France from the late 19th to the early 20th century (1870-1914), played a significant role in the continued advancement of poster design. This era coincided with economic growth and the rise of a new middle class with disposable income and leisure time. It was during this time that the poster craze took hold in France, with posters being used for advertising various products, events, and entertainment.

Over the decades that followed from these auspicious beginnings French poster design continued to flourish and designers from around the world followed suit in experimenting with poster design for advertisements for cultural events, travel, film, food and drink and more.

This original vintage travel poster has been professionally linen-backed and is sized 15 5/8 x 23 1/2 inches (plus a couple more inches for the linen). It will be sent rolled (unframed).

• Year: 1939
  
• Poster Type: French Railway Travel Poster
  
• Style: -
• Art By: Edgar Derouet and Charles Lesacq
  
• Rolled/Folded/Other: Rolled Linen-backed
  
• Condition: Near Mint/Mint
  
• Condition Details: Originally rolled, now professionally linen-backed. Looks superb.