Posters, the holy grail of possibility for some designers, are particularly great for inspiration, and the emergence of Parallax scrolling websites (like an infinite digital poster design for the Web) makes posters all the more relevant.
With this in mind, we’re excited to have found this collection of 350 vintage travel posters, most of which date back to the 1920s-1940s, housed by the Boston Public Library’s Print Department.
Take a sec to be inspired. You can see the whole collection in the slideshow below and on Flickr.
From the Boston Public Library’s Print Department:
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Railways opened up America and Europe, luxe ocean liners introduced elegance into overseas voyages, and drivers took to the road in record numbers in their new automobiles. By the mid-1940s, new airlines crisscrossed the globe, winging adventure-seekers to far-flung destinations.
Travel agents and ticket offices during this period were festooned with vivid, eye-catching posters, all designed to capture the beauty, excitement and adventure of travel and to promote a world of enticing destinations and new modes of transportation. Individual artists gained fame for their distinctive graphic styles and iconic imagery, and many posters from this era still remain important works of art long after their original advertising purposes have faded.
If you’re wondering how you could possibly integrate such iconic designs into your current work, check out some of these vintage-inspired designs created within the last few years.
Remember, great design transcends the medium. It doesn’t matter if it’s industrial, packaging, print, automotive, Web or anything else. Get inspired by people who don’t create anything the way you would — then go back to your screen and make something beautiful.
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