Vintage New Zealand travel posters are great! They not only provide insight into the country's efforts to drive tourism throughout the 20th century but are beautiful as well. There remains something special about the choice of colors and images that still spark excitement for travel.
The poster below is not only interesting but fiting as we approach International Women's Day (March 8th). The intention of the poster is to spur a visit to New Zealand by aiming its message directly at the jet-setters of the time.
This poster shows a futuristic airplane- not a cumbersome ship or even a train. Those who could afford to travel on an airplane lived comfortably, and a trip to New Zealand from the United States would have been a multi-week commitment. This meant plenty of leisure time and the means to travel via air were required.
Most interesting is that the poster shows a single woman. She sits comfortably with an air of independence. Her sporting attire and profile convey confidence. She needs no man. She knows what she's doing. She's off to play golf!
Without knowing more about the artist or where the poster was displayed we will not venture more guesses. We hope you like seeing these throwback advertisements as much as we do and leave with one last thought: If the poster was really displayed from 1930 - 1933 would not have this been in the Great Depression? "Travel Days are Here Again" is either extremely optimistic, anticipating a better tomorrow or pinpoint targeted at the those who still had money to travel. The airplane in the background looks like a Lockheed Constellation (came into service in 1945) or perhaps a De Havilland Albatross (a rare British plane from the late 1930s). So I like to think of the modern day version showing a Space-X ship or Virgin Galactic perhaps.
