Travel In Style: Christie’s 15th Annual Ski Sale

Christie’s continues to offer the only dedicated Ski Sale worldwide, with the 15^th consecutive annual sale set to take place on Wednesday, 23^rd January at 1pm. Celebrating the golden age of travel, from the turn of the twentieth century through to the 1950s, when skiing holidays became increasingly popular as new transport links gave greater access to this exhilarating holiday option, the auction will comprise over 160 lots of vintage posters and vintage Louis Vuitton luggage.

The most beautiful and dynamic ski tourism posters were produced during the early 20^th century as the first resorts competed to be recognised as the most glamorous, with some of the finest designers and artists commissioned to create stylish advertisements urging holiday-makers to visit. Today, the market for vintage posters goes from strength to strength with its ever-growing collector-base, attracted by the colourful, decorative, skillful and largely affordable designs, perfect for home or chalet decoration.

Louis Vuitton has catered for the discerning traveller for over 150 years, and his luggage has come to be symbolic of travel at its most glamorous and luxurious. Vuitton was first and foremost a craftsman, creating innovative pieces including the monogrammed LV suitcase, which are now icons of today. Trunks and suitcases, in monogram, striped and checkerboard styles – each piece of luggage tells a different story, with several still sporting Luxury Liner labels or stamped with bold initials of their original owners; estimates from £1,000 to £7,000.

Each of the most loved ski resorts in the world are represented within the sale, from France, Italy, Norway, America and Switzerland including Gstaad, St. Moritz, Davos, Chamonix, Megeve and many more. The posters illustrate a wonderfully nostalgic, pictorial history of skiing, and also present a fascinating record of the changes in techniques, equipment and the resorts themselves; estimates range from £800 to £15,000.