'Australia For Sun and Surf' poster
Object No. 2009/52/1
Gert Sellheim was one of the earliest designers to be commissioned by the Australian National Travel Association (ANTA, estab 1929) to produce designs for Australian travel posters. ANTA posters were displayed locally as well as in London and San Francisco in the early 1930s. The 'Australia For Sun and Surf' poster was designed by Gert Sellheim in 1931. Graphically, Sellheim successfully manages to associate the sun, surf, leisure and vast open space with Australia. It is a particularly outstanding example of early Australian graphic design, using photomontage and carefully constructed typographical elements to convey a powerful message and image of an idealised Australian way of life. In the process of designing graphics and posters, Sellheim invented a language of visual iconography. Many of this iconography went on to become enduring symbols of Australian national identity, the most distinctive of these being the healthy fair haired girl in a swimsuit and his distinctive winged kangaroo logo created for Qantas in 1947. The poster, 'Australia/for Sun and Surf' features a modernist composition, incorporating a photograph of a female in the surf as a unique and appealing aspect of Australian culture and identity. It features a strong horizontal as well as diagonal composition, with the title 'AUSTRALIA/FOR SUN AND SURF' stylishly incorporated above and below the poster's central illustration. The designer's signature 'SELLHEIM' features prominently in the main body of the poster at lower left.
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Summary
Object Statement
Poster, 'Australia For Sun and Surf', colour lithograph on paper, designed by Gert Sellheim, printed by Troedel & Cooper Pty Ltd, commissioned by Australian National Travel Association (ANTA), Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, 1931
Physical Description
Rectangular portrait format poster featuring black and white photographic image of a blond haired woman in two piece swimming costume, arms outstretched as she exits the surf, surrounded by sunny yellow sky, blue ocean and splashing wave. The poster is titled 'AUSTRALIA / FOR SUN AND SURF', beneath this a kangaroo logo with the words 'AUSTRALIAN NATIONAL TRAVEL ASSOCIATION' followed by minor text stating: 'AUSTRALIAN NATIONAL / TRAVEL ASSOCIATION / LONDON. LOS ANGELES. TORONTO. / BATAVIA. SHANGHAI. TOKYO. / WELLINGTON. PARIS. MELBOURNE / (HEAD OFFICE) / PARTICULARS AT SHIPPING & TRAVEL AGENCIES'. 'SELLHEIM' is written on the lower left side.
DIMENSIONS
Height
1015 mm
Width
630 mm
PRODUCTION
Notes
Designed by Gert Sellheim, printed by Troedel & Cooper Pty Ltd, commissioned by Australian National Travel Association, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, 1931. Estonian émigré architect /designer Gert Sellheim (1901-70) integrated typography with photomontage in his poster designs of the 1930s-1950s, including this poster of a beach girl which was used to promote Australia to the world in 1931. Gert Sellheim (1901-1970) Born in Estonia of German parents, Gert Sellheim (1901-1970) studied architecture at universities in Germany before travelling to London and then migrating to Western Australia in 1926. He set up an architecture and design practice in Melbourne in 1930, moving to Sydney in 1947. A significant selection of his work was exhibited in the 'Exhibition of Aboriginal Art and its Application' organised by the Australian Museum in Sydney in 1941. He established Gert Sellheim Design in Sydney and for many years designed commemorative publications for Oswald Zeigler like 150 years in Australia, 1938. Incorporating photomontage and Aboriginal-inspired decorative elements in his work, Sellheim won a Australian stamp design competitions in 1946 and 1948. His 'Aboriginal Art' stamp which was released in 1948 and is in the Powerhouse Museum's collection. During the 1940s and 1950s, Sellheim created letterheads, posters, souvenir menus and magazine cover designs for Qantas for whom he also designed the distinctive flying kangaroo logo in 1947 which is still in use today, in a slightly modified form. Sellheim died in 1970.
HISTORY
Notes
The donor of the poster is an avid art, photography and design collector. He acquired the poster as one of a group of posters from the Josef Lebovic Gallery in Paddington, and the poster hung for a time in his VIP Freight office. The rarity of original historical Australian celebratory posters and their important relationship to Australian history make this a welcome gift for the Museum's collection. This is one of several donations that businessman and collector, Mr Pat Corrigan has made to the Museum. The poster places Australia and the Australian tourism industry in an international context.
SOURCE
Credit Line
Donated through the Australian Government's Cultural Gifts Program by Pat Corrigan, 2009
Acquisition Date
16 July 2009
Copyright for the above image is held by the Powerhouse and may be subject to third-party copyright restrictions. Please submit an Image Licensing Enquiry for information regarding reproduction, copyright and fees. Text is released under Attribution-Non Commercial-No Derivative licence.
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