Yorkshire coast beauty spots Scarborough, Whitby and Robin Hood's Bay celebrated in vintage rail travel exhibition

Scarborough, Whitby, Robin Hood’s Bay, York and Richmond all feature in From Edinburgh to London & Beyond – Railway Posters from the Golden Age of Travel, now showing at Ushaw Historic House, Chapels and Gardens in Durham.

All sourced from private collections, these vibrant art-deco and modernist posters date from the 1920s to the 1950s.

Andrew Heard, exhibition curator and visitor programmes manager at Ushaw, said: “We are thrilled to display a series of beautiful Yorkshire railway posters from the ‘Golden Age of Travel.’

"These art works invite you to go on an imaginative journey along the Yorkshire Coast, through the cobbled streets of The Shambles before stopping to admire the magnificence of York Minster, the focal point of a trio of works promoting visits and day trips to York.

"Of the artists represented in the exhibition, Frank Henry Mason is the one most closely associated with Whitby and the Yorkshire coast."

Mason was a member of the Staithes Group of artists and painted extensively in the area.

The exhibition includes his magnificent poster of Whitby displayed next to the preparatory painting for the work.

Also on show is Mason's East Coast which again features Whitby with Sandsend beyond.

Lovers of Yorkshire’s coast will also enjoy two rare posters of Scarborough and Robin Hood’s Bay, part of a unique set of six; which when connected form a perfect panorama of the East Yorkshire coastline.

Passenger rail travel opened up the possibility of long distance travel, adventure and excitement for the British public and railway posters were early examples of aspirational travel marketing.

The exhibition transports visitors back in time and follows the journey from Edinburgh to London along the LNER line and its adjoining branch lines.

Ushaw is also hosting rail-inspired activities throughout Spring and Summer including an outdoor miniature steam locomotive and a large scale installation of a model railway.

From Edinburgh to London & Beyond is open and runs until June 26 in the William Allen Gallery, Ushaw, daily from 11am to 4pm.

Exhibition access is included in the price of admission.