Virtual tour

Travel & Transportation

Cassandre (Adolphe Mouron): Nord Express, poster	Roger Broders: Marseille: Porte de l'Afrique du Nord, poster	J. R. Tooby: Empress of Britain, Canadian Pacific Railways, poster

From the euphoria of Lindbergh's first transatlantic flight in 1926 to the horror of the Hindenburg fire of 1937, the Art Deco age was one of the most extraordinary in the history of travel. It marked the expansion of mass travel and the high point of exclusive, luxury travel.

The vast ocean liners became the greatest symbols of Art Deco elegance and comfort. The Ile de France, Atlantic, Empress of Britain, Conte di Savoia and Queen Mary brought high style to the high seas. The most luxurious of them all, the Normandie, became the ultimate symbol of national prestige. Completed in 1933 and costing over $60 million, she was decorated and furnished by leading French Art Deco designers.

Trains also came to represent prestige, speed and modernity, with private companies and state railways competing to build ever faster and more comfortable models. Streamlined trains, such as the American Twentieth Century Limited and the British Mallard, went into service in nearly every country during the 1930s.

Striking designs for posters and marketing material also emphasized speed and comfort as characteristics of the modern world.

Back to top