Hollywood | 1955

Hollywood, 1955, by David Klein

This striking poster by David Klein captures a stylised vision of Hollywood at night, rendered in bold, saturated colours. A TWA Lockheed Constellation aircraft soars above a mountainous skyline, while coloured searchlights criss-cross a deep violet sky. Below, golden fields of star shapes blanket the hillsides — a playful visual metaphor suggesting not only the city’s sparkling lights but its identity as a town full of stars, both celestial and cinematic. Silhouetted palm trees frame the composition, reinforcing the Southern Californian setting.

Commissioned by Trans World Airlines in the 1950s, this artwork was part of a promotional series that helped define the visual language of mid-century travel advertising. Klein’s poster positions Hollywood as a glamorous, dreamlike destination.

David Klein (1918–2005) was a prolific American illustrator and designer who gained prominence through his posters for Broadway and, most notably, TWA. His graphic style blended modernist abstraction with theatrical flair, characterised by bold use of colour and simplified form. In 1957, the Museum of Modern Art selected his TWA “Times Square” poster for its permanent collection, cementing his status within the design canon. Klein’s Hollywood poster remains one of his most iconic.