Madeira & Canaries by Bergen Line

This rare original vintage Bergen Line travel poster, designed by Raymond Tooby, promotes winter voyages to Madeira and the Canary Islands with the wonderfully simple promise “Madeira & Canaries for sunshine.” Issued by Det Bergenske Dampskibsselskab (BDS), the Bergen Line, the poster advertised cruises aboard the company's passenger ship MS Venus.

The colourful design presents an idyllic vision of escape from the northern European winter. Tooby combines steep green Atlantic islands, brilliant blue water, a palm tree, tropical flowers and cactus with a horse-drawn carriage and picturesque coastal settlements. A Bergen Line ship appears offshore, linking the exotic destination directly with the voyage itself. The bold flat colours and highly stylized landscape give the poster a particularly attractive mid-century modern character.

MS Venus maintained summer passenger services from Newcastle, while from December 1948 onwards she was employed during the winter on cruises from Plymouth to Madeira and the Canary Islands. These voyages combined the growing post-war market for winter sunshine holidays with a practical commercial opportunity, as the ship could also carry fruit and vegetables back to Britain.

Det Bergenske Dampskibsselskab, commonly known internationally as the Bergen Line, was one of Norway's important historic shipping companies. In addition to its Norwegian coastal and North Sea services, the company developed passenger and cruise routes that introduced British travellers to destinations ranging from the Norwegian fjords to the warmer Atlantic islands.

Raymond Tooby's sophisticated illustration makes this an especially appealing example of post-war cruise advertising. Rather than depicting the ship as the dominant subject, he sells the experience of the destination: sunshine, lush vegetation, colourful flowers and leisurely island travel. The result is a wonderfully decorative image with strong appeal to collectors of Bergen Line, Norwegian shipping, ocean liner, Madeira, Canary Islands and vintage cruise posters.

A very rare and scarce original Bergen Line poster. Mounted on linen. In very good condition with light age wear. Displays beautifully.