Liverpool's Victoria Gallery puts vintage Cunard posters on display

Colourful Cunard posters from the interwar years are going on show in a special new exhibition at the Victoria Gallery & Museum.

Travelling In Style – Iconic Cunard Advertising in the 1920s and 1930s is open at the Brownlow Hill venue until the end of the year.

It features 14 vintage posters which were used to promote Cunard and Cunard White Star Line ships and routes, along with brochures, menu cards and other souvenirs of the time.

Cunard’s HQ was in Liverpool from the company’s founding in 1840 until 1967. In 1934 the shipping giant merged with the White Star Line, while during the 1920s and 1930s cruising became an increasingly important part of the company’s business.

The University of Liverpool acquired the Cunard archive in 1972.

Siân Wilks, Cunard archivist for the Special Collections and Archives at the University of Liverpool, said: “The exhibition is a wonderful opportunity for the public to see these original Cunard travel posters, which due to their size and fragility are not normally on display.

"Their beautiful designs and eye-catching colours are timeless and provide an insight into the way Cunard advertised its services during the 1920s and 1930s.”

And Lee Powell, vice-president of Brand and Product at Cunard, added: “Cunard is world-renowned for inventing the golden era of ocean travel and this exhibition beautifully showcases the timelessness of our brand.”

Travelling In Style – Iconic Cunard Advertising in the 1920s and 1930s is at the Victoria Gallery & Museum from March 25 until the end of 2023 and is free.

Image: Cunard archive, University of Liverpool library.