To the West Indies | 1930s

To the West Indies and Central America, Circa 1930s, by Albert Füss

This vibrant travel poster promotes the Hamburg-Amerika Linie's express service from Dover to the West Indies and Central America. The artwork depicts a tropical Caribbean vista with dramatic yellow mountains surrounding a deep blue harbour where a passenger liner—presumably one of the ships advertised—is anchored alongside smaller sailing vessels. In the foreground, two figures stand beneath a leaning palm tree: a man in white tropical clothing with a red jacket and hat, and another figure dressed in white, possibly working the land. The lower foreground shows cultivated fields with small white buildings, suggesting a plantation. The composition uses bright, saturated colours—predominantly yellows, blues, reds, and greens—creating an inviting portrayal of an exotic destination. The text at the top reads "TO THE WEST INDIES AND CENTRAL AMERICA" in white letters against a blue sky, while the bottom of the poster announces "EXPRESS SERVICE FROM DOVER BY THE M.S. 'CARIBIA' AND M.S. 'CORDILLERA'" in black lettering, with "HAMBURG-AMERIKA LINIE" prominently displayed in red beneath it.

The poster dates from the early to mid-1930s, promoting the Hamburg-Amerika Linie's (HAPAG) service to the Caribbean and Central America aboard two newly built sister ships. The MS Caribia and MS Cordillera were both launched in 1932-1933, built by Blohm & Voss shipyard in Hamburg during the Great Depression. These 12,000-ton motor vessels were designed specifically for the West Indies service, capable of carrying approximately 450 passengers across three classes with a crew of nearly 200. The ships featured modern amenities and were well-suited for tropical cruising with a service speed of 15 knots. This route reflected HAPAG's expansion beyond its original transatlantic service to embrace pleasure cruising and the growing tourist market. The construction of these vessels was partly financed by the German government as a job-creation measure during the economic crisis. The poster's emphasis on "Express Service from Dover" highlights the convenience for British passengers, who could join the cruise without travelling to Hamburg. The ships operated on this route until 1939, when the outbreak of World War II ended their civilian service. Both vessels were later requisitioned by the German Navy before eventually becoming war reparations to the USSR.

Albert Füss (1889-1969) was a German artist born in Frankfurt am Main who studied at the Frankfurter Kunstschule (Frankfurt Art Academy). His career spanned several prominent positions in German commercial art and publishing, including serving as the artistic director of the 'Frankfurter Zeitung', one of Germany's leading newspapers, and the 'Societäts-Verlag' publishing company. Füss also taught at the Fachschule für Buch- und Kunstgewerbe (School for Book and Applied Arts) in Frankfurt and created designs for the city's trade fairs. He is particularly known for his extensive work with the Hamburg-Amerika Linie, creating numerous posters promoting their cruise services that are now highly collectible. Füss's poster designs typify the vibrant, inviting style of travel advertising in the interwar period, employing bold colours and simplified forms to evoke exotic destinations. His artistic approach balances commercial appeal with compositional sophistication, effectively enticing potential travellers with romanticised glimpses of far-off places.