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The Royal Mail Line to New York
Horace Taylor, born 1881 - died 1934 - Enlarge image
The Royal Mail Line to New York
- Object:
Poster
- Place of origin:
Great Britain, UK (printed)
- Date:
1920-1925 (printed)
- Artist/Maker:
Horace Taylor, born 1881 - died 1934 (designer)
- Materials and Techniques:
Colour lithograph
- Museum number:
E.516-1925
- Gallery location:
Prints & Drawings Study Room, level C, case MM, shelf 7
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'.
