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reading travel posters vintage

  • Vintage Posteria

Travel posters

Traveling is an integral element of our life. For some it’s a necessity, for others passion, without which they can’t imagine their lives. For both the first and the latter ones, we have prepared a gallery of retro style travel posters . Those who for some reason can’t or don’t want to travel, often compensate for it by reading travel books, travelling in their dreams or simply watching TV programs that talk about faraway places. Vintage travel posters can be a substitute of travelling. Decorating a room with such posters will allow you to imagine, any day and at any time, that you are someplace far away.

Vintage poster art Italy Piscina di Sarteano

In turn, thanks to travel posters, real fans of excursions can diversify the décor of their house and highlight their hobby. Travel wall art will be a perfect addition to commemorative photos and will honour places that are really well-remembered.

Posters with a travelling theme 

Travelling theme artwork that we have chosen for our gallery includes retro and vintage motifs . We can choose among posters with graphics from different decades of the last century. Thanks to this, offered posters are diverse enough that everyone will find something for themselves and for the interior of their home – regardless of how it was designed. Therefore, on travelling theme prints we can see art that advertises tourist attractions in different places and countries of Europe and the world. We can admire the way Australia, Spain or Norway were promoted in terms of tourism. The way Italian or Greek attractions can be drawn.

Vacation posters - inspiration for your next trips

At the same time, travelling motif posters can be a decoration which brings back memories about unforgettable vacations. We develop photos less and less, storing them mostly on hard drives. Whereas a poster from a place or country, where we spent amazing vacations, can replace or complement traditional decorations. If you spend your vacations in a different place every year, you can think about creating a whole exhibition of vacation artworks from places, which you’ve already visited. Maybe there will just be posters from vacations, or maybe they will be surrounded by your own photos from this place.

Excellent quality posters

Today’s printing technology allows for a lot. Travelling motif posters that we offer have nearly photographic quality of the overprint and perfectly imitate the colours. In turn, very high-class paper, which we use to print wall art with travelling motif, ensures adequate durability . Colours overprinted on posters are vivid and draw attention. Posters with a travel theme perfectly fold and unfold, ideally adhere to a wall and fit frames or clip frames well.

See also: american travel posters , sport vintage posters , old maps posters .

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Retro Travel Posters

Journey Through Art, Original Travel Posters by Alecse™

Indian Vintage Posters Retro Artwork

Retro Indian Posters

Heritage Reimagined, The Great Indian Decor™ by Shree

reading travel posters vintage

Retro Japan Pop Posters

East Meets Retro, Vintage Exotics™ by Cha

reading travel posters vintage

City Map Posters

Streets Turned Art, The Wanderer Maps™ by Cha

reading travel posters vintage

Retro Spanish Posters

Spirit of Spain, The Spanish Capsule™ by Cha

Vogue Logo

Handmade Retro Travel Posters

Free worldwide delivery.

Step back in time with our limited-edition travel posters. Created by curated artists (not AI), they offer a gateway to the golden age of travel—delivered to your doorstep, anywhere in the world

Artful travels by Alecse: Vintage and Retro Travel Poster Art

Retro Japan Posters

Great Indian Decor Collection by Cha: BnW Poster Art Inspired by Indian Mass Culture and Traditional Matchbox Designs

Retro Map Posters

collector edition retro travel poster art: 20 or 50ex only, signed and numbered

Retro Collector Posters

Personalized Commissioned Art by Alecse, specializing in creating custom retro posters from your photos

Custom Poster Creation

Commission Your Own Retro Poster Partner with retro poster artist Alecse , who will expertly transform your photos and ideas into a unique commissioned piece of retro poster art. Through a collaborative process, your feedback refines each round, ensuring the final artwork resonates with your personal touch. Delight in the exclusive experience of guiding your very own bespoke poster to perfection, reflecting your individuality and artistic flair.

CUSTOM POSTER CREATION

Personalized vegas chapel art print, personalised movie poster, family portrait poster, custom map poster, discover our collections, vintage travel posters.

Discover the largest collection of Original Travel Posters created by a single artist.

Alecse's limited editions Retro Poster Art boast over 1200+ destinations and 105 countries, capturing iconic landmarks and hidden gems from around the world. Add a touch of wanderlust and timeless elegance to your space with these captivating vintage travel posters, meticulously designed by Alecse.

NAPLES POSTER NAPOLI STREET

Manhattan poster new york, thailand poster krabi railay, st barth poster 'landing', polignano poster puglia, senegal poster goree island, rio poster ipanema, cuba poster havana love, los angeles poster hollywood cadillac, barcelona poster 'placa reial', montmartre poster sacre-coeur, ibiza poster old town street, new york poster brooklyn bridge, vintage exotics™.

A captivating series of pop art inspired posters by French artist Cha.

Drawing inspiration from the vibrant Asian vintage aesthetic of the 60s and 70s, Cha's original illustrations beautifully blend pop art with elements of mass culture symbolism. These visually striking posters, featuring a vintage color palette of 2-3 colors, exude a nostalgic charm. Discover the allure of these unique artworks that seamlessly combine pop art and Asian influences, making them a must-have addition to any decor.

RAMUNE LEMONADE POSTER

Koinobori poster, chrysanthemum poster, ramen knitting poster, udon crocheting poster, chopsticks origami poster, the great indian decor™.

With a deep-rooted passion for India and a keen appreciation for its cultural heritage, artist Shree presents a collection of limited edition Indian posters that exude a timeless charm reminiscent of old illustrations. These incredibly decorative artworks seamlessly blend into various types of interiors, adding a touch of artistic flair. Paying homage to India's rich cultural heritage, these Indian pop art posters are a captivating expression of the country's vibrant artistic spirit.

AMUL POSTER

Bombay poster ambassador kakhi, delhi poster air india, seashell brown poster, star anise poster, lunchboxes poster, spanish capsule™.

A series of Limited Edition Posters created by Cha for Spanish Capsule™.

These posters are inspired by the Vintage graphic designs from the '60s and the '70s. The series comprises of minimal, retro pop art print infused with a dash of highly decorative cherry-picked colors. Those eye-catching limited edition artworks (300 prints) will bring an elegant and exclusive Spanish Sunny touch to your interior. If you love Spain, you'll adore this collection of Spanish delicacies and cocktails

SANGRIA POSTER

Cheesecake poster naive, sherry tini poster, catalan cream poster naive, cua-cua poster, valencia orange poster naive, the wanderer maps™.

Embark on a visual journey with "The Wanderer Maps™" by Cha, meticulously crafted city map posters that invite exploration.

These exquisite maps, with their intricate lines and precise cartography, offer a unique perspective that brings the spirit of your favorite places to life. With their monochromatic or duotone designs and vintage aging effect, they bring a touch of timeless elegance to any space. Commission a custom map poster and let your favorite places come to life. Discover the beauty of map art and add a sense of wanderlust to your decor.

HOLLYWOOD MAP POSTER

Jaipur map poster, bangkok map poster, varanasi map poster, hong kong map poster, harlem map poster, collector editions.

Enhance your decor with our stunning collector edition travel posters.

These limited edition prints, available in only 20 or 50 copies, are carefully crafted by the talented artist Alecse, known for his timeless and emotional soft-focus style. Each poster is personally signed, numbered, and accompanied by a certificate of authenticity. These captivating artworks add a touch of elegance and become focal points within meticulously designed interiors, showcasing your impeccable taste for exceptional decorative art.

TROCADERO POSTER CHAILLOT

New york poster '5 boroughs ', sao paulo poster parque anhagabahu, montreal poster sin city, hollywood poster vibes, acapulco poster the leap.

Our framing options to hang your travel posters right upon delivery

Poster Frames

Indian Spices poster bundle and other posters bundles - buy cheaper

Poster Bundles

The best deals on our vintage travel posters (available to mailing list subscribers

Deals & Discounts

Vintage travel postcards all our posters are available in 6”x4” postcards

Travel Postcards

Let customers speak for us.

Beautiful poster, really good quality.

KOINOBORI POSTER

Great print and as described

TORINO POSTER PANORAMA

Great picture, thank you very much. It's a shame that you can't find out which one you have when it's limited to 300 pieces.

MOSCOW POSTER ST BASIL

Perfect, I highly recommend. THANKS

NONZA POSTER CAP CORSE

Beautiful print; rustic yet high quality ☺️

LAHORE POSTER MUSEUM

Just positive things, even better than expected!

LOS ANGELES POSTER THE HILLS

Real quality paper and colors. Loved the look.

AMBATO POSTER ECUADOR

5 stars review on Etsy - No Comment (size A3)

RAMUNE LEMONADE BLUEBERRY POSTER

OMG! Just fall in love. The poster is 1st class ♡

Good quality! Arrived rolled up in a tube with no damage.

CALIFORNIA INDIA POSTER CHAI

Thanks, I love it! (L Size)

CUBA POSTER HAVANA LOVE

This is printed on excellent paper and the colors are so vibrant! I loved how fast shipping was. I love their piece! (A2 size)

The poster is attractive and printed well on high quality paper. It arrived quickly. Thank you.

CAPADOCIA POSTER HISTORY

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Beloved Novels Become Vintage Travel Posters in This Lovely Celebration of Reading

Pbs creates visual journeys for book lovers.

reading travel posters vintage

#SMW is right around the corner. Join us April 9-11 in NYC to get up to speed on all the latest strategies, technologies and trends you need to be following. Register now .

The Great American Read, a PBS program that began in May, is an eight-part series celebrating reading and told through the lens of America’s 100 best-loved novels. In a survey conducted by YouGov, a demographically and statistically representative audience of more than 7,000 was polled about their favorites, resulting in the list’s creation. The program, hosted by Meredith Vieira, examines these literary works and includes testimonials from celebrities and authors, culminating in the first national vote to choose “America’s Best-Loved Novel.”

The nominated books for The Great American Read span multiple genres, periods in history, and places, both real and fictional—taking readers to new places and on new adventures.

In keeping with that spirit, the PBS creative team brought the journeys to life with book-inspired vintage travel posters— each uniquely representing and capturing critical themes from the books—inviting readers to take a trip to new and exciting locations.

reading travel posters vintage

“People who are purely passionate about books read because it takes them to another place, it takes them on adventures and journeys they might not be able to take in real life—they can get lost in these books,” said Lori Dicker, senior director of digital marketing and social media at PBS. “We as a creative team talked about how to transport people. We wanted to bring these journeys to life in a really vibrant and engaging way.”

The posters are inspired by books ranging from Don Quixote to Alice in Wonderland to 1984. Some are subdued, while others are more dynamic and comical. Above all, the posters are about creating a sense of adventure with images, iconography and typeface. Each of the 15 hand-illustrated posters took several months to make, and the downloadable collection is available during the summer and fall on social media.

reading travel posters vintage

Leading up to the finale in October, PBS launched the “Summer of Reading” initiative, a multi-platform campaign that includes two Facebook Watch programs and a The Great American Read Book Club Facebook group with more than 35,000 members. Additionally, other media were designed to strike an emotional chord with readers, connect them with other book lovers, and take them on journeys, much like the books themselves.

reading travel posters vintage

Client: Public Broadcasting Service – Social Media and Digital Studios Programming teams Creative Agency (poster work): TVGla

Cara Anderson

Cara Anderson is a contributor to Adweek.

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Captivating Vintage Travel Posters for Explorers

  • BY Bogdan Sandu
  • 3 September 2023

reading travel posters vintage

Imagine unrolling a piece of history, tinged with the romance of wanderlust— vintage travel posters  are far more than just quaint relics. Once beacons of exotic escapades and luxurious getaways, they now call to collectors and design aficionados alike.

In this age of digital nomads, the allure of the past—of  nostalgic travel posters —speaks to the soul’s yearning for a simpler time.

Dive into an odyssey of art and history; unravel the stories behind  vintage tourism art  and the visual saga of  20th-century travel ads .

As each print whispers tales of  iconic travel destinations , we explore how these vibrant memorabilia shape our understanding of yesteryear’s journeys.

By the close of this read, you’ll navigate the curious world of  vintage poster collecting , with insights into preservation techniques like  linen-backing  and  digital restoration .

Prepare to embark on a tour through the  golden age of travel , and capture the essence of a bygone era’s allure, piece by piece.

Vintage Travel Posters To Check Out

Pittsburgh poster – vintage.

71c8gDa4bzL._AC_SL1500_ Captivating Vintage Travel Posters for Explorers

Vintage Travel Poster Savannah

71sFuSLCscL._AC_SL1500_ Captivating Vintage Travel Posters for Explorers

The Dropbox Logo History, Colors, Font, and Meaning

Fedex ads: delivering speed, reliability, and efficiency.

Captivating Vintage Travel Posters for Explorers

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Vintagraph Art

Vintage Travel Posters and WPA Travel Posters from around the world. Featuring  vintage travel posters from Europe, South America, the American West and the WPA. Our vintage travel posters are printed on museum-quality paper and make a fine addition to the home or board room. WPA travel posters evoke classic 1940s American design. At a time when many Americans were ready to set out for adventures in their cars, vintage WPA travel posters helped fuel the imagination.

Fly to South Sea Isles via Pan American - Vintage Travel Poster

Who designed your favourite travel poster?

Meet The Artists Behind Your Favourite Vintage Travel Posters

In my late teens, I bought myself a calendar that was illustrated with vintage travel posters. I was particularly smitten with one for Cuba produced in 1949 by the Cuban Tourist Commission. From that moment I formed a slight obsession with the beautiful artwork created to sell travel in the early days of advertising.

Since becoming a graphic designer I’ve found myself asking “who are the artists behind these fabulous vintage travel poster designs? What was their process? Did they travel to all the places they illustrated?” So, I did a little research into these advertising industry pioneers and this is what I found.

Table of contents

A brief history of the travel poster, joseph binder, donald brun, fred ludekens, abram games, frank newbould, david klein, maurice laban, jan lewitt & george him, harry rogers, james northfield, bernard villemot, edmond maurus, albert solon, frank soltesz, vincent guerra, albert victor eugène brenet, joseph feher, vittorio grassi, otto nielsen, lucien boucher, robert falcucci, georges dorival, roger broders, harry stevens, daphne padden, percy padden, tom eckersley, reginald montague lander.

Modern posters were born in the mid-nineteenth century when a few planets aligned. The first was the development of printing technology, which allowed for mass production of colour images (“mass” being a relative term to today’s standards). The second was countries such as France lifting government censorship of public places. Lastly, mass-produced consumer goods were being advertised in populated urban environments.

By the late nineteenth century, posters had hit their stride in Europe with many fine artists such as Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec taking up poster commissions. As the new century dawned, posters grew in popularity and their design became an increasingly respected art form.

The Art of Vintage Travel Posters

Early twentieth-century travel posters were often commissioned by rail lines, and later airlines, to advertise their mode of transport using images of exotic destinations. Poster artwork varied in style as fashions came and went: art nouveau, art deco and modernism were key styles of the travel poster era. Finally, poster art gave way to photography in the 1960s, as printing technology underwent another evolution.

The art of vintage posters has experienced a renaissance in the last two decades, as new generations rediscover the illustrations and paintings of the past. Original travel posters are now highly collectible items. In 2014, Christie’s sold Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec’s Moulin Rouge lithograph  for £314,500, its highest-grossing travel poster in history. I grew up with this image printed on a set of coasters that my mum purchased while travelling in France. For those who aren’t millionaires yet, prints of vintage posters can also be purchased at much more reasonable prices.

The artists behind the posters

Allow me to introduce to you the mysterious talents behind the vintage travel posters you love. This is by no means a definitive list and there are many artists unaccounted for – these are artists behind some of the most recognisable and collectible travel artworks. Sadly, there is very little information available about some of them.

Joseph Binder (1898–1972) trained in lithography and studied at the Vienna School of Arts and Crafts before establishing his own graphic design studio, Vienna Graphics, specialising in advertising and poster design. After visiting the US as a guest lecturer at the Chicago Art Institute and Minneapolis School of Art, he immigrated to New York in 1936. He created modernist masterpieces for American Railroads, American Airlines, and United Airlines such as these.

reading travel posters vintage

Swiss illustrator Donald Brun (1909-1999) was a student of one of Switzerland’s first professional calligraphic artists. He apprenticed as a publicity illustrator and took art classes in Basel and Berlin before becoming a freelance artist. Brun created posters for Swissair among others. Though he never stuck to one particular style, my personal favourites are the “picture-in-picture” posters he designed, like those below.

reading travel posters vintage

Californian illustrator Stan Galli (1912-2009) may have created your favourite 1950’s poster for United Airlines. Galli studied at the California Art Institute (now the San Francisco Art Institute) before becoming an advertising artist. He worked in various areas from designing postage stamps to Navy instructional manuals over the course of his long career. His posters for United Airlines are among the most collected vintage travel posters today.

reading travel posters vintage

Fred Ludekens (1900-1982), was an American artist and illustrator. The Californian had no formal training and worked initially as a billboard painter. Ludekens produced work for magazines and other media. He worked alongside the aforementioned Stan Galli at one time, painting wildlife images for Weyerhauser Timber advertisements. Ludekens created a series of posters for American and United Airlines in the 1950s.

reading travel posters vintage

British born designer Abram Games was one of the last of the great poster designers, as the art was lost to offset printing and photography. His early work was often for London Transport and Shell.  After a stint in the British War Office during World War II, Games returned to posters for British Airways, Aer Lingus and EL AL.

reading travel posters vintage

British artist Frank Newbould (1887-1951) attended the Bradford College of Art and Camberwell School of Art. He designed many posters for railways and shipping companies, before WWII at which time he became assistant to Abram Games (above) at the war office. Frank Newbould along with the artists, Tom Purvis (below), Austin Cooper, Fred Taylor, Frank Mason were the “Big 5” that for a time were exclusively contracted to design travel posters for LNER (London and Northeastern Railway).

reading travel posters vintage

British artist Tom Purvis (1888-1959), attended the Camberwell School of Art. He worked in advertising agency Mather and Crowther before branching out on his own as a freelancer. Between 1923 and 1945 he created over 100 posters for London and North Eastern Railway (LNER), depicting the rail lines destinations in bold, flat colour with little detail. Though Purvis moved away from this style later, reintroducing some detail into his imagery, that vibrant, minimalist style is one of my absolute favourites.

reading travel posters vintage

David Klein (1918-2005) created boldly coloured modernist posters. The Texas native studied at the Art Center School (also known as the Art Center College of Design) in Los Angeles. He created illustrations for the U.S. Armed Forces during WWII, then went to live and work in New York City. He created most of his travel-related work between the mid-1950s and ’60s. Klein’s commercial art includes these memorable commissions for TWA.

reading travel posters vintage

British freelance illustrator Maurice Laban (1912-1970) created posters during the 1940s through to their dying moments in the 1960s. His vibrant posters for BOAC/Qantas were printed by silkscreen technique and made use of fluorescent opaque inks.

reading travel posters vintage

The graphic design duo of Jan Lewitt (1907-1991) and George Him (1900-192) came out of the early ’30s in Warsaw. They relocated to London and worked together through to 1955.

reading travel posters vintage

Harry Rogers (1929-2012) was an Australian designer who created several series of Qantas posters from the 1950s through 1970s, utilizing techniques such as paper cutting, collage and watercolour to define each campaign.

reading travel posters vintage

Another Australian, James Northfield (1887-1973), was educated in Melbourne. As a commercial artist, Northfield created posters for the Australian National Travel Association to promote Australian destinations to domestic and overseas audiences.

reading travel posters vintage

French graphic designer Bernard Villemot (1911-1989) is associated with his work for Air France, Bally, Perrier and Orangina. Villemot initially studied with master art deco poster artist Paul Colin.  His work has been in high demand since his death in 1989.

reading travel posters vintage

Edmond Maurus designed art deco posters for French airlines Air Union and Air France between 1925 and 1955. The French artist studied at the Germain Pilon School.

reading travel posters vintage

Albert Solon (1897-1973) was also known for his art deco posters. The self-taught artist who became a cartoonist, created posters for airlines during the 1920s and ’30s including Farman, SABENA, Air France, Luft Hansa, Imperial Airways, KLM and l’Aéropostale.

reading travel posters vintage

American artist Frank Soltesz (1912-1986) studied at the Art Institute of Pittsburgh and went into newspapers and advertising. The president of TWA in 1945, Jack Frye, offered Soltesz a job creating magazine advertisements which were seen in publications such as Life, Esquire, Sports Illustrated, Forbes, Fortune and Time.

reading travel posters vintage

French painter Vincent Guerra is largely a mystery, but his work for Air France and Aerovias Guest after WWII are notable contributions to poster design.

reading travel posters vintage

Albert Victor Eugène Brenet (1903-2005), who was born in France and studied at the Ecole des Beaux-Arts in Paris. He travelled for magazine LÍllustration and was appointed official artist for the three French military branches during WWII. Post-war he went into commercial illustration including advertising posters for airlines.

reading travel posters vintage

Joseph Feher (1908-1987), a Hungarian born and trained artist, studied at the Academy Bella Arte in Florence, Italy and Bauhaus, Germany. He also obtained a scholarship to the School of the Art Institute of Chicago in the late 1920s. From there, his work in commercial art and portraiture began. Feher taught in Chicago and at the Academy of Arts in Honolulu, Hawaii. He was also flown around the continental United States by United Airlines, to paint watercolours of cities for ads and calendars until about 1949.

reading travel posters vintage

Italian painter Vittorio Grassi (1878-1958) started out at the Bank of Italy, testing typographic techniques as a means of counterfeit prevention, while he practised his landscape painting. He later moved into commercial work, designing stamps and posters for the Italian Government Tourist Board and the Italian Railroad System among other public agencies.

reading travel posters vintage

Otto Nielsen is the Danish painter who designed travel posters for Scandinavian Airlines (SAS) between 1954 and 1976 in his unique oil painting style.

reading travel posters vintage

Parisian born artist Jean Even (1910-1986) studied at the Ecole Boulle and Ecole Nationale Supérieure des Beaux-Arts. Even favoured gouache for its matt colours, speedy drying and compatibility with light paper, all qualities excellent for travel.

reading travel posters vintage

Another Air France favourite is Lucien Boucher (1889-1971), whose design career began at the Ceramique de Sevres. He debuted a the Salon d’Automne in 1921 before becoming a member two years later. He exhibited at the Salon de L’Araignée in 1924 through 190. Boucher produced lithographs, wood engravings and watercolour drawings. In 1935 he began working for Air France and gained a reputation for his planispheres – a flat representation of the earth.

reading travel posters vintage

Robert Falcucci (1900-1989), was a French illustrator and painter who studied at the Ecole Normale Superieure des Arts Decoratifs, Paris. Falcucci spent time directing magazine advertisements for Renault; illustrated a cover of L-Illustration magazine; and worked with couturier Paul Poiret. Arguably, his best-known work his program artwork for the Monte Carlo Rally, and posters for rail line Paris-Lyon-Mediterranean (PLM).

reading travel posters vintage

Georges “Géo” Dorival (1879-1968) was a French poster artist who also specialised in glass plates and shadow puppet theatre. He studied at the National School of Decorative Arts in Paris. His best-known travel work includes posters for destinations such as Venice, Cote d’Azur, Mont Blanc, Heyeres and Brittany, as well as the railroads such as the Chemins de Fer de l’Etat.

reading travel posters vintage

Parisian born, Roger Broders, was best known for his travel posters of fashionable French resorts of the 1920s and ’30s. Broders created simplified imagery with bold, flat fields of colour and minimal lettering in contemporary typefaces of their time. The artist was commissioned by The Paris Lyon Mediteranée Company (PLM), who sponsored his travel so that he could visit the destinations he was to illustrate. He was said to have been a cigar aficionado, foodie and lover of cafe culture – aside from the cigars, he sounds like my kind of man!

reading travel posters vintage

Kurt Wirth (1917-1996) was a Swiss graphic designer and illustrator. He started his own studio in 1937 and was a co-founder of the Swiss Graphic Designers Association. Wirth is known for creating modernist posters for Swissair and Swiss Federal Railways. He also taught at the School of Art of Bern.

reading travel posters vintage

Born in Manchester, England in 1919, Harry Stevens started his design career with no formal art training. He designed posters for London Transport from 1960-1978 and various other high-profile clients. He won the Council of Industrial Design Poster Award in 1963 and became a fellow of the Society of Industrial Artists.

reading travel posters vintage

Another British artist who created popular mid-century travel posters was Daphne Padden (1927-2009). The daughter of Percy Padden, a travel poster artist of the 1920s and 30s, Daphne worked as a commercial designer before moving into fine art later in her career. She studied at Epsom & Ewell School of Art and earned a National Diploma in Design for painting. Daphne’s freelance clients included the British Transport Commission, P&O Orient Lines and British European Airways.

reading travel posters vintage

Now seems a good time to mention more of Daphne’s dad, Percy (1885-1965) . There doesn’t seem to be much information about Mr Padden. What we do know is that he studied at the Royal College of Art and mostly worked for the post office, producing posters advertising cruises on mail boats. 

reading travel posters vintage

Lancashire-born in 1914, Tom Eckersley, was commissioned by Transport for London, National Savings Bank, Guinness and Gillette among other big names. He studied at the Salford School of Art, where he met student Eric Lombers. Graduating in 1934, Eckersley began a freelance graphic design career in London, in partnership with Lombers. They soon won commissions by London Transport and within a few years were both lecturing at the Westminster School of Art.

Eckersley’s career was interrupted by WWII when he enlisted in the R.A.F. and worked as a cartographer. He also produced “war effort” posters during this time. After the war, he continued to teach and take commissions for poster designs. Eckersley became a fellow of the Society of Typographic Designers and Society of Artists and Designers, along with an honorary fellow of Manchester College of Art & Design and the Royal Colleg of Art.

reading travel posters vintage

Born in London in 1913, Lander received his art education at Hammersmith School of Art. He became the chief designer and studio manager at Ralph Mott Studio during the 1930s. Lander produced posters for GWR, LNER, British Railways and the Post Office. He worked in gouache and watercolour.

reading travel posters vintage

Image via Original Railway Posters

reading travel posters vintage

Image via invaluable.com

Where to buy posters and prints

Galerie 123 , Switzerland

Affiche Passion , France

The Ross Art Group , USA (New York)

The Vintage Poster , USA (California)

International Poster Gallery , USA (Boston)

Antikbar , UK

All Posters

Vintagraph, USA

Printism , Australia

What is your favourite vintage travel poster? Drop a comment below and let me know.

I hope you’ve enjoyed getting acquainted with the artists that inspired travellers of yesteryear and found a little duende of your own. If so, you might also enjoy this artful history of travel postcards .

Peace, love & inspiring travel,

Art Moderne in Cleveland – Coast Guard Station #219

The unique art of lotus weaving in myanmar.

My favourite is my 1950 karnten Austria by an artist called Ludwig depicting a view of a beautiful lake from a hotel . It has such vibrant colours and gives you a sense that you are actually there. For a poster toned that takes great skill . But now I’m thinking about my other posters and it’s like having children do you have a favourite hahaha. Thanks for your time to write about the artists and posters. I still have a few I am trying to find out about.

Hi David, Your Karnten poster sounds wonderful. It can be challenging to find info about the poster artists. It’s a shame considering how talented they were! I am always updating my posts so if you have an artist you’d like me to look into, let me know. I can’t promise I’ll turn up anything you haven’t already, but I would be willing to have a go.

Thanks for stopping by Duende, Zoë (aka Madam ZoZo)

Hi there. Love the site. I wondered if you could help me? I love a poster for Continenral Airways advertising Los Angeles which has a glamorous couple on the beach- the lady has golden hair in the style of a Hollywood star and there is a plane flying overhead.. It looks late ’50s to me. Would you know who the artist would be? My email address is xxx. Thanks Paul Moody

That is a tricky one. I haven’t been able to get much info at all on that particular poster. I agree it looks like the late ’50s given the style and fashion depicted. Continental used that particular logo between 1937-1960 so it is unlikely to be later. I found an aircraft buff who proposed the plane pictured was a DC-7B which also fits with the 1950s timeframe. Many of the well-known artists of that period seem to have been tied up with other airlines at the time and probably had exclusivity agreements. I couldn’t confirm anything further. Should I happen across more details, I’ll let you know.

Zoe aka Madam ZoZo

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David Klein, Africa, Vintage travel poster

The History of Travel and Art: David Klein’s Vintage Travel Posters

Today, travel companies spend millions of pounds on advertising their services in all manner of media. The internet has helped this hugely, with easy access to consumers and platforms where they hang out.

But how did travel companies get their messages out before?

Cue the much-loved travel poster . A vintage look into the past. These pieces of work don’t just show us how far advertising has come in a short space of time, but they also tell us what kind of attractions and activities were valued in bygone days.

Here, I’ve curated a selection of my favourite David Klein posters, fresh out of the 50s and 60s.

Vintage travel poster, David Klein, Egypt

Klein’s early career was as a painter and illustrator before becoming a part of the California Watercolor Society in the 30s. His vintage travel posters emanate the style so closely associated with the group – bold colours and thick brushstrokes drawn onto paper with no pre-planning.

David Klein, Rome, Vintage travel posters

During the war, Klein used his talents to create useful manuals, before settling in New York.

portugal

However, Klein is most famous for his vintage travel posters for Trans World Airlines (TWA), where he was invited to create an ad campaign for a wide variety of destinations spanning the globe. To meet the brief, he produced a series of posters that featured iconic attractions presented in his trademark bright colours and thick brushstrokes.

Klein’s work became a huge influence in the poster world, and continues to inspire travellers, artists, and companies today.

David Klein, Florida, Travel posters vintage

Follow Wanderarti on Facebook for daily doses of visual vagabonding.

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Lizzie Davey

Lizzie has a passion for visual vagabonding (a new term, maybe?), whereby she likes to document the beauty in the world via creative forms. She created Wanderarti as a space for this new term to flourish, providing somewhere for art and travel to collide. Apart from pretty things and exploring new places, Lizzie likes tea, takeaways, and cute animals.

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LOVE vintage travel posters. Africa is my favorite from the selection you’ve featured here. Might just be because I’ve got Africa on the brain since we’re headed to Tanzania in about 3 weeks!

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Love these posters. Now I’ve got some new additions to my Pinterest Board!

They’re great aren’t they?! (And a great addition to Pinterest!)

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Love these old posters. They put the romance back in travel! Frank (bbqboy)

They certainly do!

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I love old posters. I want to redecorate the house and some walls are really in need for this kind of art. Thanks for this. I have really enjoyed it.

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They’re great aren’t they?! Kind of makes me wish advertising was still like this.

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  1. Beloved Novels Become Vintage Travel Posters in This Lovely Celebration

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  2. Vintage Travel Posters

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  4. Beloved Novels Become Vintage Travel Posters in This Lovely Celebration

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  6. 16 Vintage Travel Posters for summer vacation inspiration; LA library

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    Klein's early career was as a painter and illustrator before becoming a part of the California Watercolor Society in the 30s. His vintage travel posters emanate the style so closely associated with the group - bold colours and thick brushstrokes drawn onto paper with no pre-planning. During the war, Klein used his talents to create useful ...

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