“Titans of The Sea: Vintage Advertising Posters From The Golden Age of Ocean Liners” Launches at Int The show, which runs from July - December 2012 at the InterContinental Boston, explores the romance, history and adventure of ocean travel with 10 extraordinary selections from a recently acquired col
BigNews.Biz - Aug 02,2012 - BOSTON (July 5, 2012) – InterContinental Boston a 424-room luxury hotel located on Boston’s burgeoning waterfront and just 1.5 miles from Boston’s Black Falcon Cruise Terminal, and International Poster Gallery launch “Titans of the Sea: Posters from the Golden Age of Ocean Liners”, an exhibit of some of the greatest vintage ocean liner advertising posters from 1914 - 1954. The show, which runs from July - December 2012 at the InterContinental Boston, explores the romance, history and adventure of ocean travel with 10 extraordinary selections from a recently acquired collection of more than 200 ocean liner posters. Included are works from major lines like Cunard, Holland America, French Line, and many others. The posters are for sale and range in price from $2,000 to more than $20,000. Also for sale are a selection of antique maritime items from Boston’s Lannan Ship Model Gallery, such as vintage life savers, buoy lights and engine order telegraphs from the 1920s that complement the exhibit.
A Toast to the Captain
To celebrate this new nautical exhibit and Boston’s expanding Fort Point Channel upon which the hotel sits and where numerous new docks have recently been installed, InterContinental Boston’s new outdoor bar, RumBa on the Waterfront, launches a new drink, Captain’s Cocktail. This refreshing vintage cocktail is made from Mass.-based Berkshire Distillers New England Corn Whiskey, Cherry Heering, Angostura Bitters, lemon juice, simple syrup and bourbon-soaked cherry ($11).
The Golden Age of Ocean Liners
The innovation of steam power in the 19th century opened the world to a Golden Age of ocean liner travel. Fueled initially by the need for reliable mail delivery and a transportation network for the British Empire, the industry saw an explosion of popularity during the “Great Atlantic Migration” that brought 29 million immigrants to the United States between 1871 and 1914. By the turn of the century, ocean liners began to compete for prestige and currency through luxurious first class quarters on the upper decks. Examples include posters for Cunard’s Mauretania (launched 1906) and White Star’s Titanic (1912) advertising veritable floating palaces that rivaled the opulence of the era's grand hotels.
This show includes masterpieces of this glamorous era. Featured is artist Odin Rosenvinge’s pre- WWI classic and majestic Cunard Line (1914) advertising poster portraying the newly launched Aquitania heading out to sea under full steam. This ship was one of the most beloved and profitable every to ply the Atlantic, served for a remarkable 36 years.
The beginning of World War I brought an abrupt halt to the boom in ocean liner travel, with many civilian ships converted for military duty; however, developments in more efficient propulsion technologies and the creation of the “Tourist Class” passenger cruise reinvigorating the industry after the war. During this period, Cunard used advertising posters extensively to enhance its position in transatlantic travel. In the exhibit is artist Frank Mason’s poster for Cunard (1924) which conveys the romance of intercontinental travel by juxtaposing the cool abstract shapes of a modern liner with the thrilling
.gif)
