Three hundred vintage advertising and promotional posters.

During the late nineteenth century and early twentieth century, the Canadian Pacific Railway Company (CPR) was widely hailed as "The World's Greatest Travel System." The Canadian Pacific transcontinental railroad spanned North America from the Atlantic to Pacific oceans. The company also operated luxury hotels and resorts, passenger ocean liners, cargo ships, and an airline.

To promote the company and Canada to the world, Canadian Pacific produced more than 2,500 stunning lithographic and silkscreen posters -- 1,000 of which were created in its own graphic studio.

Posters of the Canadian Pacific is a treasury of three hundred of the finest posters published by the company. They were displayed in Canadian Pacific offices and independent travel agencies worldwide from the 1880s until the 1970s. These posters enticed millions to visit and even settle in Canada.

The posters span the years 1883-1973 with special focus on the Art Deco style posters of the 1920s and '30s. They focus on travel and leisure -- activities on ski slopes, golf courses, beaches, and luxury resorts. Other posters feature Canadian Pacific ocean liners in exotic locations around the globe such as the West Indies, Rio, Hawaii and the Orient.

Posters of the Canadian Pacific will appeal to a wide audience including art lovers, history buffs and railroad enthusiasts.

 

Marc H. Choko and David L. Jones

Marc Choko's profile page

David Jones is a full-time freelance writer with a degree in zoology. He has written widely on natural history themes and has published one previous book for young readers. He lives in Vancouver, B.C.

David Jones' profile page

Bright and nostalgic commercial art.

Globe and Mail

Much more than corporate advertisements. They are iconic images that contributed to a national Canadian identity... handsome collection.

Montreal Gazette

Pays homage to the beauty of these timeless works of art... may cause an unstoppable urge to travel.

Passport to Travel

Colorful posters depicting romantic scenery and carefree vacationers... handsome historical overview.

Chicago Tribune

Stunning promotional posters to entice travelers... will intrigue art lovers and history buffs alike.

Kitchener-Waterloo Record

Many vividly reproduced full-page examples... The CPR posters were the stained-glass windows of their time.

Saint John Telegraph-Journal

A most interesting picture of emergent transoceanic popular culture... Ample fine illustrations and readable text are served by useful artist biography, bibliography, and index.

Choice

Sumptuous, lavish and beautifully produced, this exquisite volume exhibits nearly a century of poster art.

Rotunda

More than just a beautiful volume of stunning images, Posters of the Canadian Pacific is a cultural time capsule of an era when the world was infatuated with the romance of travel.

January Magazine

Design aficionados should enjoy this... a time capsule of graphic design trends in advertising and promotion.

Quill and Quire