Exhibition of original Czech and Slovak travel posters from the collection of Nicholas D. Lowry presents a graphic journey filled with stories and nostalgia that explores the dramatic history of twentieth-century Czechoslovakia.
Since the era of the Austro-Hungarian Empire, travel posters have invited visitors to discover the Czech lands. These designs, with their bold colors and compelling imagery, have promoted medieval towns, striking landscapes, natural wonders, cultural aspects, castles, ski mountains, spa towns, and more. By their very nature, they invite viewers to dream, eliciting a longing for faraway places and the desire to travel there.
They are also an unexpected archive of collective memory, reflecting the era, ethos, and political orientations of the times in which they were created — a lens through which to see contemporary trends in areas such as fashion and technology.
The project is accompanied by the publication Visit Czechoslovakia! The Stories of Czech and Slovak Travel Posters.
Curated by Nicholas D. Lowry
Graphic and Exhibition Design by Jana Vahalíková
Original Concept by Mowshe & Typo (Identita Project)
Produced by Czech Center New York, Michal Gregorini
Supported by Consulate General of the Czech Republic in New York, Consulate General of the Slovak Republic in New York, Czech Tourism, Swann Auction Galleries, Kofola
In partnership with Poster House
Publication Partners: Bontonfilm / Cartiere del Garda / Czech Tourism / Czech Centres / Europapier - Bohemia / City of Prague / Prague 1 municipal district / Moravian Gallery in Brno / NSU Foundation for Contemporary Art Prague / National Museum, Prague / National Technical Museum, Prague / Považská Art Gallery in Žilina / Poster Connection, Clayton, California / Poster House, New York / Slovak National Gallery, Bratislava / Swann Auction Galleries, New York / Technical Museum in Brno / Technology of the Capital City of Prague / Museum of Decorative Arts, Prague / Van Sabben Poster Auctions, Hoorn, the Netherlands
