CURATORS at a Powys arts centre have uncovered a rare find after an advertising poster encouraging travellers to enjoy the healing waters of the county was discovered to be the original print.

Visitors to the Llanwrtyd and District Heritage and Arts Centre are being welcomed by a large London Midland & Scottish Railway advertising poster encouraging travellers to visit the town for “the finest health spring in the kingdom and other medicinal waters”, that dates back 100 years.

The work is signed by Montague Birrell Black (1884-1964), a well-known artist and illustrator of this era, who painted it in the 1920s.

The striking picture offers a birds-eye view of the town and the rolling green hills surrounding it, tempting tourists in with the promise of “the finest sulphur spring in the kingdom”.

County Times: It was by chance that during the process of obtaining a high resolution digital image of the work, it became clear the poster was actually the original painting rather than a print It was by chance that during the process of obtaining a high resolution digital image of the work, it became clear the poster was actually the original painting rather than a print (Image: None)

And, it was by chance that during the process of obtaining a high resolution digital image of the work, it became clear the poster was actually the original painting rather than a print.

Typically, the original artwork would have been destroyed following the lithographic print production process. For various technical reasons, an original painting is not necessarily any more valuable than a good quality production poster, but the fact that it survived to this day in Llanwrtyd is intriguing.

Artistic licence was very much the style of the day, and while the shapes of the hillsides are strongly reminiscent of those of the upper Irfon valley, the scene depicted presents Llanwrtyd as almost being an alpine resort.

The framed poster was donated to the arts centre, having for many years been on display in the Llanwrtyd War Memorial Institute, on Irfon Terrace.

In 2022, centre trustees decided to explore the possibility of making post cards and printed copies of the work available for public purchase.

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Guidance on the technical background, provenance and copyright of early twentieth century travel posters was generously provided by the curatorial team of the National Railway Museum. It was here when the fact it was the original artwork was discovered

Prints and postcards of the LMS Llanwrtyd poster are now available for purchase from the heritage centre shop. Large (circa 14 x 17 cm) postcards are available for £2, an A3 size poster will cost you £15, while an A2 size poster can be bought for £25.

All proceeds will go to the Llanwrtyd and District Heritage and Arts Centre. Visit the centre, on Ffoss Road, go to the website at http://history-arts-wales.org.uk/, call 01591 610067 or visit the Facebook page.