There is nothing that I love more than the art on old timetables. And when I say old – I mean old – like 1800’s old. SmartCat has a few of these old timetables on display, including the oldest timetable I personally own – printed in 1865. There is just something beautiful about these bits of rail history, they are not just functional, but attractive – something timetables seem to have lost in the many years since.
As a graphic designer, I love the unique typography, as well as the illustrations found within. When I got bored on the train yesterday, I had the idea to turn some of the old art from these timetables into posters. I made four separate 11″ x 17″ posters, and had them printed up today – now I just have to find a place to hang them… hmmm…
 
 
 
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Any thought of making copies for sale to other railfans?
Thanks again for a great blog!
I could always do that… I’ll have to figure out the best way to do it, so I’ll get back to you. Thanks for the comment!
Woof! I tweeted and posted these on Facebook. Love them! They really bring back the memories, though 1865 was a bit before my time. Great post!
http://www.facebook.com/owney and @OwneytheDog
Thanks Er… I mean Owney!
Those are beautiful. You could definitely sell them! Then again, anybody could definitely sell them, couldn’t they? Does anyone actually “own” that cover art at this point, or is it public domain?
Since they were all published well over a hundred years ago, my assumption is that they are now in the public domain, but I’m not quite a legal expert :D
I am really enjoying these graphics! The old pre-World War I timetables really had some intricate illustrations and typography. Thanks for sharing these!
wow