• Vintage Metlicovitz Simplon Tunnel poster, Milan 1906: Mercury and Vulcan on a locomotive leaving a white tunnel mouth
  • Vintage Metlicovitz Simplon Tunnel poster, Milan 1906: Mercury and Vulcan on a locomotive leaving a white tunnel mouth
    A different view
    Illustrated wall setting, not a photograph or a size guide. Frame is for display only and is not included.
1 2

Metlicovitz Milan 1906

Metlicovitz Milan 1906

Leopoldo Metlicovitz1906

The Simplon Tunnel ran 19.8 kilometres beneath the Alps between Switzerland and Italy, and until 1982 no railway tunnel in the world was longer.

Milan's 1906 Esposizione Internazionale del Sempione marked its inauguration. Leopoldo Metlicovitz (1868 to 1944), technical director and principal poster designer at Officine Grafiche Ricordi in Milan, won the open competition for the official poster of what was Italy's first World's Fair. G. Ricordi and C. printed it, and the French-language version is held by the Victoria and Albert Museum in London.

Metlicovitz designed posters for Giacomo Puccini's operas, including Tosca and Madama Butterfly.

On the poster

Mercury and Vulcan, in saturated vermilion against a near-black ground, ride the fender of a steam locomotive as it clears the mouth of the tunnel. The pale Italian plain and the distant silhouette of Milan's Duomo lie ahead. The tunnel opening is a luminous white circle ringed by swirling navy brushstrokes. Silver-white capitals below read "Inauguration du Tunnel du Simplon / EXPOSITION INTERNATIONALE / MILAN = 1906 / AVRIL = NOVEMBRE." (Opening of the Simplon Tunnel / International Exhibition / Milan 1906 / April to November).

About this print

A digitally restored reproduction, printed on 200gsm Enhanced Matte Fine Art paper with pigment inks.

£29.99 GBP
£29.99 GBP
Sale Sold out
Free UK delivery on every order
Size

We ship to the UK, US and Canada.

Free tracked UK delivery. Typically 3 to 8 working days from order.

Our restoration process

History has wrinkles. We have standards.

A century or two can be unkind to a poster. Folds, tears, stains, fading and the occasional indignity of terrible storage.

Each print begins with historic artwork, carefully restored using the latest digital tools and restoration techniques. Damage is addressed, colours refined and details recovered, while respecting the original composition, lettering and character.

The result? All the charm of the original, without having to live with its unfortunate accidents.

Discover the restoration process →

Paper and print details

Good art deserves good paper.

Each poster is printed to order using professional giclée printing techniques and archival pigment inks on 200gsm enhanced matte fine art paper.

The natural white, smooth matte finish reduces glare while bringing out rich colours and crisp detail. The inks are designed for excellent lightfastness, helping the artwork retain its colour for years to come.

Available paper sizes

SizeCentimetresInches
A421 × 29.7 cm8.3 × 11.7 in
A329.7 × 42 cm11.7 × 16.5 in
A242 × 59.4 cm16.5 × 23.4 in
A159.4 × 84.1 cm23.4 × 33.1 in
A084.1 × 118.9 cm33.1 × 46.8 in
50 × 7050 × 70 cm19.7 × 27.6 in
70 × 10070 × 100 cm27.6 × 39.4 in

A note on sizing

Dimensions refer to the paper size, not necessarily the printed image. Original artwork proportions are preserved, so some prints will include white margins to avoid cropping or stretching the design.

Available paper sizes vary by artwork. Please refer to the size selector above.

Every print is produced to order by our specialist print partner and supplied unframed. Orders are printed and dispatched from the UK, USA or Canada, depending on the delivery destination.

Delivery

We ship to the UK, US and Canada.

Free tracked UK delivery. Typically 3 to 8 working days from order. Delivery details

Returns and damage support

Damage or printing defect? Contact us within 30 days for a replacement or refund, subject to our policy.

Eligible UK consumer orders: 14 days to request a change of mind return. Conditions and return postage apply. Returns and damage support

Wall preview requires Safari on iPhone or Chrome on Android.

A note on room previews; some room settings are digitally generated for illustration. Frames and furnishings are not included. The ‘View in your room’ feature is a visual guide, not a guarantee of colour accuracy or scale.

View full details
Unframed printA3 · Quantity 1

More from this collection