IMAGES OF THE
EXOTIC `
Published by Kapoor Assets, Inc. All rights reserved. This book may not be reproduced in whole or in any part, in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, without the written permission of Kapoor Assets, Inc. Design and entries by Clanci Jo Conover Cover illustration: Visit India, Taj Mahal Published by the Advertising Branch, Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, Government of India Printed by Messrs. Associated Printers Ltd., Madras & Bangalore c. 1950’s 39 x 25 in. (99.1 x 63.5 cm.)
IMAGES OF THE EXOTIC Posters of India from the Golden Age of Travel
September 5 - 27, 2019
34 East 67th Street, New York, NY 10065 212.888.2257 | info@kapoorgalleries.com kapoorgalleries.com
This fall, Kapoor Galleries is thrilled to present Images of the Exotic: Posters of India from the Golden Age of Travel, on view at 34 East 67th Street from September 5 to 27, coinciding with the September edition of Asia Week New York. The exhibition will showcase an array of 20th century lithographs created to entice potential travelers with the mysteries of the Indian subcontinent, typically issued and distributed by commercial aviation companies to market their international destinations to the elite. Travel posters became popular in the 20th century with the expansion of travel through cruise ships, railways, and airlines. These posters served as advertisements that promised adventure and exoticism to anyone who could obtain a ticket. While typically only the well off could embark on such ventures, the imagery of travel posters enticed and mesmerized all who viewed them with the possibilities of exploring a new world. Travel agencies often commissioned the posters themselves, and gained more traction with the public when they employed commercial designers instead of fine artists. These images were intended to grab the attention of people in travel offices, train stations, airports, and various other transit hubs. Illustrations depicting India played on the intrigue of the unknown, luring prospective adventurers to the subcontinent through images of Indian women decorated in eccentric jewelry, majestic foreign architecture, stunning landscapes, monumental temple sculptures, and more. In India, the government produced their own travel posters to bolster tourism efforts after gaining independence in 1947 and constructing a new economy. With the country’s newfound independence, Five-Year Plans were instituted to direct economic
development. The approach to tourism evolved in the second and third iterations of these five year plans, which spurred the production of travel posters in order to promote the nation’s diverse offerings. Ranging from the 1930’s to 1970, these posters feature real world oases and monuments along with portrayals of native people, all in the hope of accumulating interest for newly available travel routes. The images boast lush landscapes of Kashmir along with scenes of snowy northern regions like Kanchenjunga, contrasting the vast natural resources India contains with exciting urban events grounded in tradition; such as the car festival at Puri. Other works included in the exhibition employ sculpture and architecture as an aspect of allure to the traveler. A rendering published and circulated by the Government of India depicts two Indian women on an intricate covered terrace overlooking the Taj Mahal, placing the viewer in the foreground as if they, too, were experiencing the vista on the same terrace. While the majority of these prints were designed by unidentified artists, a number can be attributed to the American artist David Klein, the Danish artist Otto Nielsen, and the Swiss artist Donald Brun. From a charming image of a tree climbing primate to a stylized representation of a bright-eyed belly dancer, these travel posters transport onlookers not only to a foreign place, but to a different time. In an age where most travelers are familiar with heavy security and economy seating, past illustrations of luxurious, exclusive adventure mesmerize in a nostalgic manner, coercing viewers to imagine a world without the internet, when the only way to foster understanding of other cultures was to visit them yourself.
India, Kanchenjunga Near Darjeeling
Visit India, Taj Mahal
Issued by the Directorate of Advertising and Visual Publicity, Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, for the Department of Tourism, Government of India Printed by Messrs. Glasgow Printing Company Ltd., Howrah 1958 40 x 25 in. (101.6 x 63.5 cm.)
Published by the Advertising Branch, Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, Government of India Printed by Messrs. Associated Printers Ltd., Madras & Bangalore c. 1950’s 39 x 25 in. (99.1 x 63.5 cm.)
Winter in India Visit Kashmir Issued by the Government of Jammu & Kashmir 1949 38 x 24 in. (96.5 x 61 cm.)
Issued by the Tourist Division, Ministry of Transport, and published by the Advertising Branch of the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, Government of India Printed by Messrs, Associated Printers Ltd., Madras c. 1950’s 39 3/4 x 25 in. (101 x 63.5 cm.)
David Klein
Fly TWA, the Orient
India, Fly TWA
David Klein (American, 1918-2005) Issued by Trans World Airlines c. 1955 39 3/4 x 25 1/8 in. (101 x 63.8 cm.)
David Klein (American, 1918-2005) Issued by Trans World Airlines c. 1960’s 40 1/2 x 25 in. (102.9 x 63.5 cm.)
One of the most renowned travel poster designers, David Klein’s journey as an artist started in earnest in California, where he attended the Art Center School in Los Angeles and joined the California Watercolor Society in the 1930’s. He regularly exhibited throughout the region until he joined the army in World War II, where he illustrated many army manuals. Klein settled in Brooklyn after the war, rapidly finding a place designing advertisements for hit Broadway shows. By 1955, the artist was creating numerous posters for Trans World Airlines (TWA), whom he continued to work for through the next decade, producing designs for both national and international travel. The appeal of Klein’s style sprung out of his use of color and incorporation of local commodities – by inventing an amalgam of abstract figures with recognizable landmarks or motifs, he captured the illusion and draw of a place. His designs have achieved iconic status over time, so much so that one of his Times Square posters now resides in the Musem of Modern Art’s permanent collection.
See India, Mysore
Visit India, Jaipur
Issued by the Tourist Traffic branch, Ministry of Transport, and published by the Advertising branch of Information and Broadcasting, Government of India Printed by Associated Printers Ltd., Madras c. 1950’s 40 x 24 1/4 in. (101.6 x 61.6 cm.)
Published by the Advertising Branch, Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, Government of India Printed at the Survey of India Offices (H.L.O.), Dehra Dun c. 1930’s - 1940’s 39 1/4 x 24 in. (99.7 x 61 in.)
Otto Nielsen Trained at Gustav Bachmann’s drawing academy, Otto Nielsen had a prolific career in the commercial arts. After his studies, he earned a living by producing drawings for various newspapers for a number of years. He illustrated a myriad of books, magazines, and other publications, and pursued a passion for painting on the side. It was not until the mid 1940’s that he began to design posters, earning a place of prominence with his designs for Scandinavian Airlines System (SAS), who began by marketing flights from Denmark, Norway, and Sweden. He worked with the company from 1954-1976, manifesting a characteristic style that would become synonymous with the airline. His work was even featured in calendars produced by SAS. A lover of travel himself, Nielsen’s posters take on a near impressionistic style, slightly abstracted while still maintaining clear figures to exude an air of mystique and wonder. A small airplane flying overhead is the artist’s trademark across these poster designs, reminding that the portrayed sites are easily accessible, just a flight away with SAS.
India by SAS Otto Nielsen (Danish, 1916-2000) Issued by Scandinavian Airlines System Printed in Denmark by Andreason & Sonner c. 1955 39 x 24 3/4 in. (99.1 x 62.9 cm.)
To India by Scandinavian Airlines System Otto Nielsen (Danish, 1916-2000) Issued by Scandinavian Airlines System Printed in Denmark by Andreason & Sonner c. 1950’s 39 1/2 x 24 in. (100.3 x 61 cm.)
Visit Kashmir: Amenities for Tourists Now Available Issued by the Government of Jammu and Kashmir c. 1949 39 1/2 x 25 1/4 in. (100.3 x 64.1 cm.)
Car Festival at Puri Issued by the Tourist Traffic Branch, Ministry of Transport, and published by the Advertising Branch, Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, Government of India Printed in India by Associated Printers Ltd., Madras c. 1957 39 1/4 x 25 1/4 in. (99.7 x 64.1 cm.)
Visit India, Sanchi
Banaras, India
Issued by the Tourist Traffic Branch, Ministry of Transport, and published by the Advertising Branch, Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, Government of India Printed by M.S. Associated Printers Ltd., Madras c. 1950 40 x 25 in. (101.6 x 63.5 cm.)
Produced by the Directorate of Advertising and Visual Publicity, Ministry of Information and Broadcasting for the Ministry of Transport, Government of India Printed by M.S. Bolton Fine Art Litho Works, Bombay c. 1957 39 x 25 in. (99.1 x 63.5 cm.)
Donald Brun Basel born artist Donald Brun produced countless designs for many prodigious companies in and outside of Switzerland. His path as a designer initiated with an apprenticeship under the advertisement artist Ernst Keizer, followed by stints at the local General Trade School and the Academy of Fine and Applied Arts in Berlin, where he studied through the early 1930’s. By 1933, he had established his own studio in Basel and began his freelance career as an artist. Unlike David Klein or Otto Nielsen, he had a greater reputation as an advertisement designer than a travel poster specialist. Brun created dynamic marketing material for products like Persil laundry detergent, Toblerone chocolate, Bata shoes, and various shampoos, cigarettes, foods, drinks, and other consumerist pleasures. He did, however, design a number of travel posters for Swissair to promote their postwar flight routes. By employing a rather nondescript background in his work, Brun focuses on the elements in the foreground to convey meaning, enticing the viewer with a defined point of focus. He was also a founding member of the Alliance Graphique Internationale, and a driving force in the formation of the Association of Swiss Graphic Designers. Brun retired in 1977 to create art freely of his own volition, departing from the commercial world for a personal one.
Swissair to India Donald Brun (Swiss, 1909-1990) Issued by Swissair Printed in Switzerland by Basler, Druck Und Verlagsanstalt c. 1958 40 x 25 in. (101.6 x 63.5 cm.)
India, Sabena
India via Bank of America
Issued by the Societé Anonyme Belge d’Exploitation de la Navigation Aérienne c. 1970 39 x 26 in. (99.1 x 66 cm.)
Issued by Bank of America c. 1950’s 41 1/4 x 27 3/4 in. (104.8 x 70.5 cm.)
India, Fly Qantas
Colorful Middle East
Issued by Qantas Airways c. 1965 39 1/4 x 25 in. (99.7 x 63.5 cm.)
Issued by Scandinavian Airlines System Printed in Denmark by Axel Andreasen and Sonner c. 1960’s 37 x 24 1/2 in. (94 x 62.2 cm.)
Sources
David Klein Art. “David Klein Biography.” Accessed August 12, 2019, www.davidkleinart.com. Dansk Plakat Museum. “Otto Nielsen.” Accessed August 13, 2019, www.danskplakatmuseum.dk. Dayananda, K.C. and D.S. Leelavathi. “Evolution of Tourism Policy in India: An Overview.” IOSR Journal of Humanities and Social Science 21, no. 12 (2016), 37-43. Jailer-Chamberlain, Mildred. “The Lure of Travel Posters.” Antiques & Collecting Magazine 111, no. 5 (2006), 46-50. Museum of Design Zurich. “Artist Info - Donald Brun.” Accessed August 13, 2019, www.emuseum.ch.