Orient Line to Australia : Sydney Heads

Artist Ellis Silas (British 1885-1972)

Publisher Orient Line (1878 - 1966)

Date1930s

Object number00000658

NamePoster

MediumColour lithograph on paper

DimensionsOverall: 1000 x 630 mm

ClassificationsPosters and postcards

Credit LineANMM Collection

Collections

Sea the world

Terms

DescriptionThis Orient Line travel poster promoting passenger line services to Australia was designed by Ellis Silas in the 1930s. Travel posters often sowed the first seeds of an idea to travel or emigrate. For Australian travel, some of Britain's and Australia's finest graphic and non-commercial artists were commissioned to paint a portrait of Australia to make it more desirable as a destination.HistoryThroughout the 20th century, posters were used as a relatively inexpensive, eye catching and easily distributed way of marketing the idea of travel and tourism. During the 1930s the Orient Line shipping company embraced a Modernist advertising style. The promise of sunshine was often used to promote Australia. Posters such as this with its azure sea, golden cliffs and lilac sky would have been prominently displayed in ticket offices to entice passers-by during dreary European winters. SignificanceThe poster is an important document recording one of the ways in which Australia was marketed to both national and international travellers. It is representative of early 20th century design trends and the significant role of Modernism in popular culture.