Posters: Travelling Around Italy Through Advertising: 1895-1960

In the late nineteenth century up until very recently, for the middle classes, the famous and the wealthy alike, an extended tour of Italy was a necessary part of a cultural education. Italy's cuisine, its landscapes, its countless art capitals, archeological ruins and its tradition of hospitality made the country a favored destination for an exclusive class of tourist. To alert this lucrative market--as well as Italians themselves--to the many attractions of the Beautiful Country, the message was laid on with graphic radiance in the print culture of the times, through posters, flyers, brochures and picture magazines. Graphic design for tourism advertising was often commissioned from the leading illustrators of the period, from Duilio Cambellotti to Leonetto Cappiello, from Marcello Dudovich to Franz Lenhart, from Gino Boccasile to Mario Puppo. This volume draws on the collection of Achille Bertarelli to tell the story of Italian tourism's rich graphic design heritage in 250 color reproductions.