Sunny beaches, stunning mountains, ancient monuments, and vibrant citiesItaly seems to have endless excitement for tourists. Through its posters from the 1920s and 1930s you can ride the iconic gondolas of Venice, explore the mountainous village of Merano, and stand high above the sea amid the ruins of Taormina. For decades, posters were a common way for countries around Europe, including Italy, to attract people for a fun-filled jaunt or relaxing escape.

Railroad companies, such as the French Paris-Lyon-Mditerrane or the Italian Ferrovie dello Stato, would commission posters by renowned artists and designers to advertise their luxury routes. Riders from cities and towns all along the linesbasically, all over Western Europecould board and make their way to Rome, Venice, or anywhere else in Italy where the trains stopped. The government even got into the business, creating the ENIT, or Italian Government Tourist Board, which also commissioned many of the designs you see in this coloring book.

For your coloring pleasure, this book contains line drawings tracing twenty of these early Italian travel posters. The original full-color posters are shown as small pictures on the inside front and back covers. Maybe youve been to one or more of these places, or maybe youll visit them someday. Which places seem most appealing to you? Which poster designs attract your attention the most?

Images

1. Mario Borgoni (Italian, 18691936), Merano, c. 1927
2. Roger Broders (French, 18831953), Rome, 1921
3. Roger Broders (French, 18831953), Florence, 1921
4. Unknown designer, Marina di Ravenna, 1931
5. Attilio Ravaglia, Palermo
6. Georges Dorival (French, 18791968), Rome
7. Georges Dorival (French, 18791968), Venise
8. Marcello Nizzoli (Italian, 18871969), Bergamo
9. Walter Molino (Italian, 19151997), Italia / Abbazia
10. Unknown designer, Simplon Express
11. Sergio Franciscone (Italian, b. 1912), Merano
12. Virgilio Retrosi (Italian, 18921975), Roma, c. 1930
13. Unknown designer, Venezia, 1928
14. Unknown designer, Trafoi / Passo dello Stelvio, c. 1920.
15. Giovanni Guerrini (Italian, 18871972), Cesenatico, 1927
16. Attilio Ravaglia, Ravenna, c. 1930s
17. Ernest Louis Lessieux (French, 18481925), Chemins de fer de lEst / Venise
18. Vittorio Grassi (Italian, 18781955), Taormina
19. Giuseppe Riccobaldi (Italian, 18871976), Lago di Garda / Riva-Torbole
20. Unknown designer, Aux Lacs Italiens, c. 1928

Soft cover book with staple binding

48 pages with 20 images to color

Size: 8 x 11 in.

Coloring pages are blank on the back so they can be cut out and displayed.

Published with Swann Galleries