France Sports d'Hiver Megève 1964

In this elegant 1964 winter travel poster, Austrian-born photographer and designer Karl Machatschek captures the idyllic charm of Megève, a storied ski resort nestled in France’s Haute-Savoie region. The image, composed with crisp photographic precision, presents a scenic panorama of snowy slopes dotted with skiers and crisscrossed by brightly colored cable cars gliding toward Mont d’Arbois.

Unlike many illustrated posters of the period, Machatschek’s work relies on the direct emotive power of photography, highlighting the natural beauty of the French Alps and the modernity of its infrastructure. The crisp sky, glinting snow, and well-composed depth of field all convey a sense of serene adventure and efficient leisure.

Megève, developed in the 1920s as France’s answer to Switzerland’s St. Moritz, had by the 1960s become synonymous with luxury winter tourism—frequented by Parisian high society and international travelers alike. This poster, commissioned by the Commissariat Général au Tourisme, was part of a nationwide post-war effort to promote France not only as a cultural destination but as a winter sports haven with world-class resorts.

With its clean typography and minimalistic layout, the poster reflects mid-century modern design sensibilities, emphasizing clarity and aspiration over clutter. The balance between text and image allows the stunning natural landscape to take center stage, while subtle visual cues (the red and yellow gondolas, the skier’s movements) suggest energy, accessibility, and joy.

This poster stands as a visual testament to 1960s optimism, when travel and leisure were increasingly democratized across Europe. It is also a marker of the golden age of European railway and alpine tourism, when destinations like Megève were actively promoted in train stations, travel bureaus, and embassies throughout the world.

Today, Machatschek’s poster is celebrated for its refined composition and cultural resonance—an icon of French winter tourism design, forever linked to the golden slopes of Megève.

Haute-Savoie - Skiing - Tourism - France

Printed by Braun et Cie in Mulhouse

Bon état