One of Saturn Press’s most beloved cards is “Autumn Dunes” in our Aboriculture collection.
The card is inspired by a vintage travel poster which promoted the South Shore Line railroad from Chicago to South Bend, Indiana. The poster was created by Ivan V. Beard (1896–1980), an artist known for designing travel and railroad posters. The poster “Autumn in the Dunes,” was originally created around 1925.
Beard was part of a group of artists who contributed to the transit poster campaign in the 1920s and 1930s. This was a marketing effort encouraging people to use Chicago-area railroads to visit the Indiana dunes and other notable sites in the Midwest. The posters featured colorful scenes including the dunes.
Today, Ivan V. Beard’s posters are recognized for their artistic and historical value and are collected and exhibited.
- Deirdre Keogh-Anderson