Published around 1934, this original poster by L. C. Besnay was issued by the Chemins de fer de l’Est (Eastern Railway Company) to promote commemorative travel to Verdun, the iconic site of one of the First World War’s most defining battles. Verdun had become, by this time, a national symbol of French sacrifice, resistance, and victory.
The poster was part of a broader postwar effort to encourage remembrance tourism, using the railways as a gateway to historic memory. It invited the French public to revisit the sites of their collective endurance and to reflect on the profound toll of the Great War. The Eastern Railway Company played a major role in this initiative, helping foster a culture of remembrance across France.
This poster reflects the interwar period’s emphasis on national unity, historical memory, and civic duty. It is now considered a valuable collector's item not only for its historical resonance, but also as a fine example of institutional visual communication in 1930s France.
Railway - War - Meuse - France
Printed by Lucien Serre in Paris
Good condition, slight dirt
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