Enjoy Gippsland Lakes

Artist Gert Sellheim (Australian - German, 1901 - 1970)

Maker Victorian Railways

Date1930s

Object number00019517

NamePoster

MediumPhotolithograph

DimensionsOverall: 900 x 630 mm, 0.2 kg

ClassificationsPosters and postcards

Credit LineANMM Collection

Terms

Victoria

DescriptionThis poster advertising travel to Gippsland Lakes in Victoria features a photolithographic montage of the popular coastal area. Idealised landscapes were commonly used by graphic artists working for the Australian National Travel Association to promote tourist destinations to visitors. Work commissioned by the Australian National Travel association (ANTA) used evocative imagery of beach culture to promote Australia as an exotic and desirable tourist destination.HistoryGippsland Lakes is a network of waterways made up of Lake Wellington, Lake Victoria and Lake King. It drains through an artificial entrance and tourist resort, Lakes Entrance, to join the waters of Bass Strait. Throughout the 20th century, posters were used as a relatively inexpensive, eye catching and easily distributed way of marketing - with the beach featuring as one of the most popular and iconic subjects. People were often featured in posters developed by the ANTA as a point of identification, transporting their audience to an attractive alternative reality. By the 1930s, beach culture was becoming a prominent part of the Australian way of life. Gert Sellheim, (1901-1970) born in Estonia, studied architecture in Berlin. He migrated to Australia in 1926 and began producing travel posters in 1931. Sellheim went on to design iconic posters that represent Australian culture and society, Sellheim created recognisable works such as an Aboriginal two shilling stamp in 1948 and the flying kangaroo logo for Qantas.SignificanceThe Australian National Transport Association and Victorian Railways Betterment and Publicity Board developed posters with striking images and simple slogans to meet the emerging need to market Australia to the international and domestic traveler. This travel poster is representative of work by acclaimed poster artist, Gert Sellheim.