Three Early Posters Relating to the American Youth Hostel Movement, c. 1939

Holyoke and Northfield: Litho Inc. / American Youth Hostels, 1939. First Edition. Includes: Bicycle for Adventure on the Youth Hostel Trail. Holyoke, Massachusetts, c. 1939: Valley Litho Inc. Lithographed poster, 19 x 25 inches; Take to the A.Y.H. Trail. Northfield, 1939: American Youth Hostels . Lithographed poster, 17 x 22 inches; Hostellers Know...Northfield, 1939: American Youth Hostels Inc. Lithographed poster, 17 x 22 inches. All are signed "Isabel" in images. Excellent condition overall, with some toning small chips and various wear to margins, but overall quite well preserved. Near Fine. Isabel and Monroe Smith, a married couple from Northfield, Massachusetts, started the American Youth Hostel movement in 1933 after gaining inspiration from Richard Schirrman's German Hosteling Organization. The movement grew quickly, with thirty hostels operating throughout New England within the first year. The first hostel was the Northfield Chateau, a large mansion on Birnham Road that was eventually demolished in 1963. The network of chaperoned hostels created the opportunity for safe bicycle-based travel, as shown in the posters offered here.

Offered here are three early posters from the movement, designed by Isabel Smith, each with her signature in the image. All posters are variations on the cycling theme. One of them states that "When the grand day's bicycling is done... no fare can compare with the Royal 'Hostellers' Own." Smith's design aesthetic is quite accomplished, and we are surprised to find no examples of these in institutional collections. Overall a visually compelling group, uncommon.