History of Travel Posters

History of Travel Posters. This post covers historical aspects and includes a representative selection of Venetian examples.

The advent of the lithographic poster coincided with the burgeoning era of leisure travel, offering an ideal medium to both inform and allure potential travelers.

These posters offer a captivating glimpse into the social and cultural evolution of the 20th century, tracing the shifts in tourism, societal norms, art, architecture, and fashion.

As the 20th century unfolded, artists elevated the travel poster from mere illustration to iconic status, with vintage examples now treasured as collectibles of significant worth.

Travel Poster History

Venice Travel Posters: My Pick

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**“Posters reflect our culture and are like visual graphic icons of the times in which they were created.” Robin Shepherd, travel poster collector.**

Travel Poster History

Travel posters served not just as advertisements for destinations but also as graphic representations for hotels, airlines, railroads, and tourism agencies. They aimed to forge an immediate connection with the observer, inspiring dreams of countryside excursions, seaside retreats, or overseas holidays.

These posters reflected the evolving trends in tourism, society, art, architecture, and fashion, offering intriguing glimpses into the social and cultural history of the 20th century.

Regarded as art pieces, their styles spanned from art nouveau to mid-century modern. At the peak of their popularity, numerous graphic and fine artists lent their talents to craft visuals that would lure the work and war-fatigued populace into taking vacations.

Above all, travel posters stirred our yearnings for adventure, beauty, and wanderlust, or simply the desire to break free from the daily grind.

Above: Early railway and exposition poster styles, crowded with information – a complexity of images, text and type-faces.

Railroads, ocean liners and airplanes, the technologic marvels of the early 20th century, inspired pleasurable and luxurious travel and gave people the freedom to explore the world. This sparked the “Golden Age of Travel” which lasted until the outbreak of World War II.

The lithographic poster came into being, just at the dawn of the explosion in pleasure travel and this new means of advertising, was ideally suited to educate and tempt the consumer.

Posters were first utilised in countries such as Great Britain, France and the Netherlands during colonial times; for advertising large exhibitions, attended by both the trade and public.

At first, posters were crowded with information – a complexity of images, text and type-faces (images above); but later developed into simplified, idealised and more graphic images of these new and fascinating colonial lands.

By the early 1900’s, illustrators and artists such as Hugo d’Alesi (France), Emile Cardinaux (Switzerland) and Adolfo Hohenstein (Italy), produced more visually powerful imagery, to put across the message. By the 1920’s, A. M. Cassandre, his pupil Fix-Masseau, Tom Purvis, Frank Newbould and other artists; transformed the travel poster from illustration to symbol.

Large graphic images with bold text and were a very effective medium to inspire travellers to explore their own country and the world; being prominently displayed in the railway stations and kiosks of Europe and America.

In 1935, “S.S. Normandie” the first large ocean liner, was launched, inaugurating a new era in transatlantic travel. It set new standards of luxury, speed, stability, comfort and safety and was considered the epitome of luxurious travel.

Next, came the era of intercontinental air travel. This began after World War II and afforded travellers a more convenient, reliable and timely arrival at their destination.

Left: In the 1960’s photographic images were incorporated into poster design.

Today, air travel allows us to circumvent the globe in around 24 hours. The pandemic crisis, has sadly removed much of the romanticism and relaxation of travel. Perhaps our changing and uncertain world and the growth of the internet and social media; has made us nostalgic, for a more simple and settled time. This is reflected the growth of vintage travel posters; one of the most popular areas of poster collecting; providing artwork, to suit every pocket and interest.

Posters, no doubt, will continue to evolve with new methods and ideas and will always be a part of our world.