Silhouette of a nude woman leaping in a sunburst in the mountains, representing the healthful effects of Leysin in the treatment of tuberculosis. Colour lithograph by Jacomo, ca. 1930.

Vaj, op. cit., identifies aspects of the high-altitude environment which were thought to be conducive to health: fresh and dry air, absence of fog, intense sunlight (bactericidal), balsamic pine-scents easing respiration, snow (protecting from microbes in soil), the psychological effects of panoramic vistas. These are combined in the present poster: "L'affiche de Jacomo exploite de façon remarquable l'ensemble de ces éléments: le fort rayonnement solaire, la neige qui recouvre les sommets, la guirlande de résineux qui l'encadre, le magnifique panorama qui, sur des plans successifs, s'étend jusqu'aux Dents du Midi."

The action of the woman exemplifies the method of Margaret Morris (1891-1980), as published in her book The notation of movement (London 1928). It used dance to express the remedial aspects of movement. The Swiss physician Auguste Rollier saw her work at Heritage Craft school, Chailey, and invited her to visit his tuberculosis clinic at Leysin--Vaj, op. cit.

[Switzerland] : [publisher not identified], [1930?] ([Bruxelles] : Lithos. J.L. Goffart]

1 print : lithograph, printed in colours ; sheet 99.5 x 61.8 cm

Leysin. Alt. 1450m. Suisse. Traitement de la tuberculose sous toutes ses formes. Jacomo

Dated ca. 1930 by comparison with another work by the same designer, Jacques-Joseph Muller, advertising the Bobsleigh-Weltmeisterschaft, Caux/Montreux, dated January 1930 (seen by the cataloguer). A version of the present poster with slightly different lettering ("Leysin Suisse Alt. 1450m. Air et soleil") was offered for sale at Christie's South Kensington on 21 January 2010 with a dating of "c. 1934"

Daniela Vaj, 'Danser sur les cimes: les atouts climatiques de Leysin', Passé simple: Mensuel romand d'histoire et d'archéologie, juin 2016, p. 29-31 (online at Notrehistoire.ch, Juin 2016)

Tania Woloshyn, The kiss of light: nursing and light therapy in twentieth-century Britain, London 2015, pp. 36-37

Wellcome Collection 41337i

Exhibited in "The Sun: Living With Our Star" at the Science Museum, London, 6 October 2018 - 6 May 2019