To identify your poster, you need to look at the model, the artist, the year of publication but also the printer.

Collectors in search of real treasures are drawn to photographs by iconic artists, These include the great Karl Machatschek (1906-1994), nicknamed KAMA. His posters tell the story of the beginnings of winter sports in the Alps and Pyrenees, of which he was the resident photographer.

As an advertising artist, Karl Machatschek acquired his training at the Munich School of Applied Arts and the Berlin Fine Arts. After a period as a ski instructor in Megève, he turned to outdoor photography, capturing the beauty and essence of winter sports.

The poster artists' original works are signed, for the most part, but it's important to remain vigilant for forgeries.

The misspelled name Karl Machatschek, for example, should ring a bell. It's not uncommon to come across different variations of his signature, such as "Machatchek" without the "s," "Ph. Machatchek" or "Philip Machatchek"....

The "Ph. " is sometimes interpreted as a first name, but it is actually an abbreviation of "Photo", a term commonly used on advertising posters.

Roger Broders, the author of the vintage 1930 Chamonix Mont Blanc winter sports poster for the 1930 Ice Hockey World Championship, Georges Dorival, Carl Moos who covered the 1928 St. Moritz Winter Olympics, Pierre Boucher and Walther Koch are other renowned poster artists.

Due to their specific use for promotional purposes by gluing, exposure to the elements, etc., Due to their specific use for promotional purposes (collage, exposure to the elements, etc.), the vintage posters that reach auction houses today in excellent condition are the result of a meticulous conservation process. Some of them are probably recovered immediately after printing, and have never been used, a rather rare occurrence for this kind of poster.

It's more common to find vintage posters folded, which can lead to a depreciation in their value due to the apparent marks.

However, for very large posters, a slight cross-fold imprint may be tolerated. Posters already in collections are often restored, sometimes with repaints or canvas, for example.

A number of posters have been reissued over the years, some of which date back several decades. This practice can lead to confusion between the original posters and their reissued versions, on the part of both sellers and buyers. One of the main reasons for this confusion is the absence of the reprint date, which should appear in the margin of the poster.

Accidental tears at the edges of the poster can erase this crucial information and only add to the complexity of identification. Care should therefore be taken.

It may be necessary to familiarize yourself with the distinguishing features of reissued and original ski posters.

Heliography and lithography are among the most common methods used for vintage ski posters. Heliography was used by Draeger for Leblanc's 1962 "Ski en France" poster. This technique relies on the use of light-sensitive photographic plates to reproduce images.

For the vintage travel poster made by Dubois around 1950 "O sol pratica o ski en França", printer Courbet uses lithography. This technique is appreciated for its ability to reproduce fine details and sharp color nuances. It can also be used to reproduce images or text on a variety of substrates: paper, cardboard, metal or lithographic stone.

By examining these elements you are able to estimate your poster and determine whether it is an authentic work or a modern reproduction.