Commercial Art: Travel Posters 

 In Collaboration with MU Special Collections

Among the substantial Special Collections items are travel posters that used art to advertise unique landmarks and attract tourism. In a century of much social, political, and economic change, these posters functioned as a way to search for national identities and to promote tourism to countries in financial need pre- and post- World Wars.

The aesthetics of these posters drew from many sources, including the styles of new movements such as Art Deco and Art Nouveau, ideas of tradition and national symbolism, and the personal visions of the artists who created them. Publishing bodies throughout Europe had to produce pleasing designs in tune with the art world. Art, however, was always shifting in response to societal tensions, and while some aspects of these posters’ designs remained popular symbols in their respective countries’ advertising, some were controversial, poorly received by the public, or later rejected by their governments.

Though less frequently considered “propaganda” than their cousin war posters, each travel poster still serves the purpose of advertising its country. In doing so, each poster helps to construct and disseminate a national image and identity. The artists, slogans, descriptions, and styles of illustration, including typography, can reveal the values of the tourism industries publishing the posters. These travel posters were featured in railways, subways, and many other transportation centers across Europe to revive the tourism industry.

Vintage Commercial Art Posters on display in the Lower Level of the MU Student Center.

 

About Special Collections

The Special Collections and Archives Division consists of two departments that work closely together: University Archives, and Special Collections and Rare Books.

The Special Collections and Archives Division connects people with collections of physical and digital materials in support of a wide range of teaching, research, and learning. Through acquisition, stewardship, and community engagement, the Division joins the rest of the Libraries to support the core missions of the University.

Materials in Special Collections total over 90,000 items. The collections are diverse and range from a substantial rare book collection with material dating to the eighth century to the comic arts collection, focused on underground comics, classic comic strips, and graphic novels. The collections include books, periodicals, manuscripts, maps, posters, printed ephemera, and artifacts.

Special Collections is open to MU Students and Faculty for research and academic work.