The Royal Mail Line to New York thumbnail 1
Image of Gallery in South Kensington
Request to view at the Prints & Drawings Study Room, level C , Case MB3H, Shelf DR, Box 2

The Royal Mail Line to New York

Poster
1920-1925 (printed)
Artist/Maker
Place of origin

This poster was designed by Horace Taylor in about 1920 to 1925, and it was included in the V&A's Art Deco exhibition in 2003. It is very much in the Art Deco style, both in its content and visual appearance; the urban modernity of the subject matter is combined with the simple, bold lines of the image. The stylised skyscrapers and the starry sky evoke the stars and the stripes of the American flag. The Art Deco style gained popularity in America as European designers moved there and American designers visited Europe. The skyscraper was a popular motif in Art Deco design, as it represented the new progressive age with its machinery and possibilities. It appeared in textiles, tableware and furniture, and as a backdrop in Hollywood films. According to one leading émigré designer, the Austrian-born Paul Frankl, 'the skyscraper was a more vital contribution to the field of modern art than all the things done in Europe put together'.


Object details

Categories
Object type
TitleThe Royal Mail Line to New York (assigned by artist)
Materials and techniques
Colour lithograph
Brief description
A print poster showing a New York skyline, Horace Taylor, British, 1920-1925
Physical description
A poster showing red and white stylised skyscrapers against a blue sky with stars. Text on the bottom half of the image.
Dimensions
  • Height: 101.6cm
  • Width: 63.5cm
Style
Marks and inscriptions
'The Royal Mail Line to New York Make your next crossing by the comfort route The Royal Mail Steam packet co. Atlantic House Moorgate EC2'
Credit line
Given by Sanders Phillips & Co., Ltd
Subjects depicted
Places depicted
Summary
This poster was designed by Horace Taylor in about 1920 to 1925, and it was included in the V&A's Art Deco exhibition in 2003. It is very much in the Art Deco style, both in its content and visual appearance; the urban modernity of the subject matter is combined with the simple, bold lines of the image. The stylised skyscrapers and the starry sky evoke the stars and the stripes of the American flag. The Art Deco style gained popularity in America as European designers moved there and American designers visited Europe. The skyscraper was a popular motif in Art Deco design, as it represented the new progressive age with its machinery and possibilities. It appeared in textiles, tableware and furniture, and as a backdrop in Hollywood films. According to one leading émigré designer, the Austrian-born Paul Frankl, 'the skyscraper was a more vital contribution to the field of modern art than all the things done in Europe put together'.
Bibliographic reference
Victoria and Albert Museum, Department of Engraving, Illustration and Design and Department of Paintings, Accessions 1925, London: Board of Education, 1926.
Collection
Accession number
E.516-1925

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Record createdJanuary 27, 2004
Record URL
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