Red bows of Ocean liners Europa and Bremen; red, yellow, blue, green
Bernd Steiner, Norddeutschen Lloyd Bremen - Die Kommenden Grossbauten, 1929
Normandie above New York skyline; blue

Anonymous, Normandie Borchure including cross section of ship (French Text), 1935 ca.
Ocean liner Berengaria steams ahead under fiery sunset; red, blue, black, yellow
Oden Rosenvinge, Cunard - Europe America, 1925 ca.

Under Full Steam: The Golden Age of Ocean Liners

 

Along with Grand Circle Gallery, we are proud to present Under Full Steam - The Golden Age of Ocean Liners, a stunning exhibit of vintage travel posters promoting travel by steamship from the late 19th century through 1960. The exhibit is on display at Grand Circle Gallery, 347 Congress Street, Boston.

 

More than 30 vintage posters, most of which are on loan from IPG, transport visitors to a bygone era when the ocean liner was "the only way to cross" in more ways than one. Of all travel experiences, few can rival the romance and adventure of an ocean crossing on a "floating palace" like the Mauretania or the Queen Mary. 

 

The show begins in 1890, when steamship companies began advertising their first "superliners" with another new marvel, the lithographic poster. It concludes with the onset of the Jet Age in 1960, when the jet reduced intercontinental travel to mere hours rather than days, forcing the ocean liner to reinvent itself as the cruise ship.

 

The posters are exhibited in five sections chronicling the history of ocean liners: 

1. Samuel Cunard & the Birth of the Modern Ocean Liner (1840-1897)

2. Rivalry on the Seas (1897-1918)

3. Post WWI: Recovery and Reinvention (1918-1928)

4. Ships of State (1929-1939)

5. Postwar: The Last Liners & the Rise of the Cruise Ship (1945-1960)

 

Jim Lapides, the owner of International Poster, worked closely with Grand Circle Gallery in preparation for its opening in 2010, lending his expertise in the travel poster genre.

 

"This is the continuation of a delightful collaboration between IPG and Grand Circle Gallery," he said. "The Golden Age of the Ocean Liner touches all the currents of world history through 70 turbulent years: competition among nations, technological revolution, immigration, economic boom and bust, wars, and sociological changes that brought us 'Floating Palaces,' tourist class and steerage. For Bostonians, it is especially fascinating to witness the vital role that the city played in this exciting story."

 

"Equally compelling is the stylistic development of ocean liner posters, from the early 'information style' designs overloaded with maps and schedules, to the highly graphic works of A. M. Cassandre, who revolutionized the poster with his streamlined Art Deco style. Many of the best posters of the genre can be seen in this blockbuster show."

 

Grand Circle Gallery hours are Wednesday and Friday, noon-6:00pm; Thursday, noon - 7:00pm and Saturday, 10:00am-5:00pm. Admission is FREE and the gallery is handicap accessible. For more information, please visit www.gct.com/grandcirclegallery or call (617) 346-6459.

 

View all Ocean Liner posters here!

Under Full Steam: The Golden Age of Ocean Liners

 

Along with Grand Circle Gallery, we are proud to present Under Full Steam - The Golden Age of Ocean Liners, a stunning exhibit of vintage travel posters promoting travel by steamship from the late 19th century through 1960. The exhibit is on display at Grand Circle Gallery, 347 Congress Street, Boston.

 

More than 30 vintage posters, most of which are on loan from IPG, transport visitors to a bygone era when the ocean liner was "the only way to cross" in more ways than one. Of all travel experiences, few can rival the romance and adventure of an ocean crossing on a "floating palace" like the Mauretania or the Queen Mary. 

 

The show begins in 1890, when steamship companies began advertising their first "superliners" with another new marvel, the lithographic poster. It concludes with the onset of the Jet Age in 1960, when the jet reduced intercontinental travel to mere hours rather than days, forcing the ocean liner to reinvent itself as the cruise ship.

 

The posters are exhibited in five sections chronicling the history of ocean liners: 

1. Samuel Cunard & the Birth of the Modern Ocean Liner (1840-1897)

2. Rivalry on the Seas (1897-1918)

3. Post WWI: Recovery and Reinvention (1918-1928)

4. Ships of State (1929-1939)

5. Postwar: The Last Liners & the Rise of the Cruise Ship (1945-1960)

 

Jim Lapides, the owner of International Poster, worked closely with Grand Circle Gallery in preparation for its opening in 2010, lending his expertise in the travel poster genre.

 

"This is the continuation of a delightful collaboration between IPG and Grand Circle Gallery," he said. "The Golden Age of the Ocean Liner touches all the currents of world history through 70 turbulent years: competition among nations, technological revolution, immigration, economic boom and bust, wars, and sociological changes that brought us 'Floating Palaces,' tourist class and steerage. For Bostonians, it is especially fascinating to witness the vital role that the city played in this exciting story."

 

"Equally compelling is the stylistic development of ocean liner posters, from the early 'information style' designs overloaded with maps and schedules, to the highly graphic works of A. M. Cassandre, who revolutionized the poster with his streamlined Art Deco style. Many of the best posters of the genre can be seen in this blockbuster show."

 

Grand Circle Gallery hours are Wednesday and Friday, noon-6:00pm; Thursday, noon - 7:00pm and Saturday, 10:00am-5:00pm. Admission is FREE and the gallery is handicap accessible. For more information, please visit www.gct.com/grandcirclegallery or call (617) 346-6459.

 

View all Ocean Liner posters here!