Hong Kong’s one and only specialist vintage poster gallery, Picture This, is pleased to present “The Golden Age of Travel”. This exhibition for sale is a celebration of scarce, important and beautiful travel posters dating from 1920 to 1970.

Highlights of this exhibition include rarely seen examples of Far Eastern travel posters; among them is a wonderful cruise line shipping poster for Hamburg American Line printed in 1929. Designed by Willy Lohmann, the poster features a vibrant mix of exotic images of the Orient; where in the foreground a turbaned man rides on the back of a majestic elephant, and in the background the local people go about their daily activities before distinct styles of Asian architecture.

Also featured in the exhibition is a rarely seen example of Fly to the Far East – B.O.A.C. by British artist Rowland Hilder (1905-1993). Published circa 1948, the artist juxtaposes transport of the past and of the future. A Lockheed Constellation is seen soaring over the skies of Hong Kong Harbour, while a British flying boat rests amid the Chinese junks and sampans.

Other highlights from this exhibition include uncommon and early airline, shipping, and railroad posters issued by, among others, Philippine Air Lines, Pan American, Air France, Messageries Maritimes, Japanese Government Railways and the French Railways. Far Eastern destinations covered include Hong Kong, Burma, Malaysia, Thailand, Vietnam, India, Sri Lanka, and Japan. The exhibition also features a selection of stunning vintage posters for popular Scottish, French, Egyptian and American destinations.

Lithographic printing technology allowed companies promoting travel by air, sea, and rail a very cost effective way to communicate with their potential customers; capturing the imagination of many a passerby and awakening his or her dreams of adventure in unfamiliar and exotic lands. Travel posters are today one of the most popular areas of poster collecting – the appeal of the very best posters is both the allure of the subject and the fine beauty of their design. The rarer and more highly prized posters are becoming increasingly expensive and more difficult to source. Poster prices at The Golden Age of Travel will range from HK$3,000 to HK$30,000.