Traveling in the XXI century is a common phenomenon and accessible to many inhabitants of the planet. To go to another city or even a country now, we just need to go online, choose the right railway or air ticket, book a hotel room on another site and happily wait in our hearts for the upcoming trip for new impressions.
Until the twentieth century, many people could only dream of traveling over a distance of more than 100 kilometers, because 150 years ago all modern modes of transport were just beginning to develop and were not available everywhere. The situation began to change at the beginning of the first half of the last century, when passenger locomotives began to travel on the railways, tourist liners began to be launched into the seas and oceans, and not only birds began to fly in the sky. Although in the twentieth century travel became possible for many inhabitants of the planet, this direction needed development and support.
A key role in the development of international travel was played by advertising, which became a kind of symbol of the culture of the past, because its products were distinguished by special creativity and quality. Some travel advertising posters have such a high value that they are bought by famous collectors and museums as honorary exhibits!
European Advertising
The countries of Europe have almost always been the crown of the development of human civilization, so all social and political innovations could first be found here. Europeans became the initiators of mass tourist trips in the XIX century, when full-fledged guidebooks began to appear here between the cities of the western part of Eurasia. In 1841, Thomas Cook created the first comprehensive tour of the UK and launched an advertisement highlighting this event. Since in the century before last the printing house and printing of pictures were almost not developed, advertising was limited to ads in newspapers and on the walls of houses.
By the end of the XIX century, the popularity of tourism in Europe increased greatly, as well as the capabilities of printing presses. Among residents of European countries, it has become fashionable to travel by train to countries where there are mountains. The first advertising posters of travel in Europe were just devoted to trips to Switzerland, France or Italy, to ski resorts.
In 1880, Europeans learned to print bright color pictures on paper, and from that moment on, travel advertising became a separate art form. The first artists of such posters, for example, Alphonse Mucha or Henri Toulouse-Lautrec, left autographs on their works to increase recognition.
Drawing advertising posters dedicated to traveling to the Alps or other places in Europe has become so popular and known that this art form was even held competitions at the Olympics until 1948. At that time, the works of the Italian Franz Lenhart and the Frenchman Roger Broder were especially appreciated - all major cities of Europe were hung with their posters. They depicted the Alps, the Cote d'Azur of France and other increasingly popular locations.
Europeans loved not only to travel by train to mountainous countries, but also to go on sea cruises on local seas. In demand were flights from the UK to Germany, Mediterranean routes, as well as voyages to other continents, most often to America. Such a voyage was the infamous Titanic, which sank in 1912 on its way to North America. Wealthy tourists sailed on the Titanic and similar liners, for the lure of which high-quality advertising was required.
The "golden age" of tourist advertising in Europe is considered to be the decades between the First and Second World Wars. At the same time, there was a peak in the popularity of sea cruises, which played into the hands of artists and printers receiving profitable orders. Despite the fact that airplanes in a few years will overshadow sea transport, huge money was then spinning in the water travel industry.
Advertising in the USA
After the end of the Civil War, active construction of railway tracks began in the United States , which made a major contribution to the development of tourism. In 1869, the creation of a transnational road connecting the state of Iowa and San Francisco was completed. Immediately after that, active advertising of domestic travel by train began, and artists in collaboration with printing houses created bright posters urging Americans to go hunting for new experiences and emotions.
The symbol of that era was pullman's train cars - the most comfortable, with soft wide seats, air conditioning and good food. The phenomenon has become so popular among locals who want to travel in comfort that in the United States such cars were considered synonymous with the concepts of the word "luxury".
Americans also fell in love with trips to their own national parks, of which there are several dozen in the United States. The increase in popularity of this direction was the advertising printed in newspapers and on posters. The advertisement urged residents to leave their dusty house, open their souls to research and feel like Christopher Columbus. Americans, filled with the spirit of adventurism, did not always want to wait for trains and often went in search of beautiful views on their own, which marked the beginning of car travel around the country. Initially, cars were available to units, later more people were able to buy them - thanks to Henry Ford.
