The Danish Poster Museum
A Tourist Poster Adventure
From February 8 2025
H.C. Andersen was an avid traveller, and in his memoirs, he wrote the phrase "To travel is to live." Today, these words are used so frequently that they have almost become a cliché. Despite this, they strike at the heart of tourism: the desire to travel. This has formed the basis of the Danish Poster Museum's special exhibition on tourist posters, "Leisure Travels: A Tourist Poster Adventure."
The exhibition is a fireworks display of posters from the period between 1896 and 2023. In 151 posters, primarily from Denmark, but also from around the world, the exhibition tells the story of tourism's history and development.
A Colour Explosion from the Golden Age of Posters
Visitors will experience an explosion of colour as they step into the exhibition space, showcasing one poster gem after another. A large portion comes from the period known as the golden age of posters, from around 1920 to the 1950s, and these posters are of an exceptionally high standard, with their graphically imaginative and well-executed lines.
The posters do exactly what they are meant to do: capture our attention and make us look, but also make us dream and yearn for new experiences.
The Negative Side of Travel Activity
With growing tourism, there is now an increasing focus on the negative side of travel. It has both significant environmental consequences and erodes the authenticity of popular travel destinations. More and more people are protesting and demonstrating against the wear and destruction mass tourism brings.
The desire to travel is still there, but the joy of travel has been mixed with a sense of guilt. This may not be apparent in the tourist posters, but it inevitably becomes part of the narrative about tourism, leading to increased reflection when viewing the undeniably enthusiastic tourist posters. The exhibition "Leisure Travels" thus offers many layers, both aesthetically and in terms of considerations about our collective responsibility.