Dover-Ostend Line poster – TS Princesse Elisabeth – Adolfo Hohenstein
Art Nouveau and the Dover-Ostend Line poster
This Dover-Ostend Line poster is a superb example of the Art Nouveau movement’s influence on poster design in the early 20th century. Our high-quality, modern-day reproduction print captures the essence of the original. The vintage shipping poster was created by the renowned German artist Adolfo Hohenstein for the Belgian State Railways.
A Glimpse of the Journey
Hohenstein’s fabulous painting features three adventurous young ladies about to embark on their journey to England’s capital city. The three elegantly dressed women are standing on the deck of the turbine steamer Princesse Elisabeth waving their handkerchiefs at their friends on the dock, as the ship prepares to set off.
The women appear to be setting off in the sunshine of an early Belgian morning. It’s a good thing they’ve got their best, thick coats on; they’ll certainly need them when they get to England! The scene beautifully captures the excitement and anticipation of the journey.
The Ship Behind the Dover-Ostend Line poster
In the early 1900s, the Ostend-Dover ferry service was operated by the Turbine Steamer Princesse Elisabeth, the very vessel featured in the Dover-Ostend Line poster. The steamer was named to commemorate the birth of Princess Elisabeth of Luxembourg. The ship was ordered by the Belgian State Railways and built by Société Cockerill in Belgium.
Launched in 1905, the Princesse Elisabeth took her maiden voyage from Dover to Ostend on 11 September 1905. The ship was capable of speeds of 26.25 knots and was, at the time, the fastest ship afloat. She remained so until the launch of the RMS Lusitania the following year.
In 1914, while being refurbished, war broke out. Despite being dismantled, the ship was towed to London. Once seaworthy again, she was requisitioned by the Royal Navy and used as a troop carrier and a hospital ship. Between 1917 and 1918, the Princesse Elisabeth made 575 sailings, transporting more than 28,000 soldiers and over 90,000 wounded.
In 1919, the ship was handed back to the Belgian authorities and resumed her Ostend-Dover service. She continued her passenger ferry service until 1927 when she collided with the quay at Ostend. The ship was laid up until 1931 when she was sold for scrap and dismantled in 1933.
The Artist: Adolfo Hohenstein
The artist behind this iconic poster, Adolfo Hohenstein, was born in 1854 in St. Petersburg to German parents. After his studies, his travels took him to India. Following a move to Milan in 1879, he became a set and costume designer for La Scala.
It was in Milan that Hohenstein’s career truly took off. He met Giulio Ricordi, head of the Italian publishing house Casa Ricordi, and in 1889, he became the art director of the Ricordi Graphical Workshops.
Casa Ricordi’s clientele consisted of famous composers such as Verdi, Puccini, and Rossini. It was Hohenstein’s responsibility to produce artwork for sheet music, advertising posters, and concert posters for their upcoming performances, including the famous Dover-Ostend Line poster.
A Diverse and Enduring Legacy
At the Ricordi Graphical Workshops, Adolfo Hohenstein artist produced a diverse range of work. From his posters for the operas La Boheme, Madame Butterfly, and Tosca to advertising for companies like Cinzano and Campari, his art was required on posters, postcards, and covers for scores.
He also continued his work in the theatre, creating scenery and costume designs for several works, including Giuseppe Verdi’s 1893 opera Falstaff.
The Father of Italian Poster Art
Today, Adolfo Hohenstein is considered to be the father of Italian poster art and a leading exponent of the Stile Liberty, the Italian Art Nouveau. Along with Giovanni Mario Mataloni, Leopoldo Metlicovitz, Marcello Dudovich and others he worked with, Adolfo Hohenstein artist is one of the most important Italian poster designers of all time.
Other Dover travel posters
With the ever-growing sea trade, Dover’s chances of success as a seaside resort were unlikely. Instead, the town has grown to be a major ferry port and is a vital part of Britain’s tourism, shipping and cargo industries. Its importance is shown in the amount of railway and travel posters produced over the decades that feature the town. Iconic images of the famous white cliffs, centuries-old castles, beautiful countryside, and coastline have been reproduced countless times.
There is a wide variety of vintage Dover travel posters available. One of the earliest was created by the German artist Adolfo Hohenstein around 1900. His art nouveau-influenced poster was created for the Dover-Ostend Line and shows a young woman on board Princess Elizabeth waving goodbye to her friends on the dock.
Another early one is Henri Cassier’s 1914 Dover-Ostend poster for the Belgian State Railways. It depicts a small group of fishermen and their wives in traditional dress standing watching the turbine steamer Princess Elizabeth, enter the port.
Edward Burley‘s portrait of the Gateway to England for Southern Railway offers a view from the sea looking back past a fishing boat towards Dover Castle. Personal favourites include Norman Wilkinson’s 1946 poster for Southern Railway which features an image of TS Invicta leaving Dover. Leo Marfurt’s art deco inspired Oostende-Dover for the Belgian National Railway is superb.
The brightly coloured, geometric design depicts railway passengers transferring to the Ostend-Dover ferry. We also love Edward Ponds Dover by Train for Network South East which shows Dover Castle high on the top of the white Cliffs of Dover.
