From Monarchy to Modernity: Travel, Identity, & the Czechoslovak First Republic (1918–1938)
On October 28, 1918, Czechoslovakia declared its independence and became a new country formed from Bohemia, Moravia, Slovakia, parts of Silesia, and Carpathian Ruthenia—all lands that had been part of the Austro-Hungarian Empire, dissolved after its defeat in World War I. This period, from October 1918 until the signing of the Munich Agreement in September 1938, which allowed Nazi Germany to annex the Sudetenland (along Czechoslovakia’s northern and western borders)—is referred to as the First Czechoslovak Republic, more commonly known as the First Republic.
As a newly formed state comprising diverse ethnic groups and regions, the young republic faced the challenge of building not only its economy and political system but also a cohesive national identity. It sought to present itself to the world—and to its own citizens—as united and forward-looking, using the power of visual culture to assert its presence on the global stage. Travel posters were among its most striking tools: vivid, stylized images that celebrated the country’s landscapes, cities, culture, industry, and technological achievements while projecting an identity that was proud, sovereign, progressive, stable, and distinctly Czechoslovakian. These posters reveal the aspirations of a young state eager to claim its place in Europe.
During this brief 20-year period, the nation experienced such extraordinary progress, prosperity, technological innovation, and optimism that it rose to prominence as one of the most industrialized in Europe. Its per capita income was also one of the highest on the continent, establishing it as an economic and political success story.
This exhibition explores seldom-seen travel posters from this golden age of Czechoslovakian statehood. They were created by artists, designers, and directors of commercial studios who understood that tourism was more than leisure—it was diplomacy. In a region that had long been defined by the imperial borders of the Austro-Hungarian Empire, travel posters in the post- World War I era became vehicles for soft power, enticing both domestic and foreign audiences to see the First Republic as a land of opportunity, beauty, and progress. With the dissolution of the monarchy, gone, too, were the artistic but static landscapes that had populated the posters of the Kaiserlich-Königliche Österreichische Staatsbahnen (Imperial Royal Austrian State Railways). Spas, medieval towns, and mountain resorts were no longer seen just as attractive destinations but were now symbols of a unified, modern nation. These travel posters also became more than advertisements, emerging as instruments of national branding: a new way of cultural story telling, part of a new national narrative. They illustrate how a small fledgling republic used the promotion of its own land through art and travel to telegraph its position as a modern democracy.
The design of these posters reflects the era’s avant-garde movements—Art Deco, Constructivism, and Functionalism—while also drawing on local folk motifs and national iconography, merging tradition with innovation and crafting an image of Czechoslovakia that was at once cosmopolitan yet uniquely its own. Together, they celebrate the promise of Czechoslovakia: a democratic, cultured, and optimistic state rooted in both tradition and progress. This promise was real but short lived, ending on March 15, 1939, when Nazi Germany violated the Munich Agreement and invaded and occupied the rest of the country.
This exhibition is held in conjunction with Visit Czechoslovakia! The Story of Czech Travel Posters, on view at the Czech Center New York from September 18 to November 30, 2026. We encourage guests to visit both shows celebrating the vibrancy and variety of Czech design.
Whenever feasible, Poster House reuses materials from previous shows to drive sustainable practice.
