1930 Nelson Line / Royal Mail Travel Poster, Pictorial Map of South America

Among the Last of the Ocean Liners.

This is a striking c. 1930 pictorial map travel poster of South America, prepared by an unknown artist to promote the Highland Monarch, an ocean liner that operated between Britain and South America. It was part of a late generation of great Transatlantic steamers, before the ships were increasingly displaced by air travel in the Postwar period.

A Closer Look

The sheet is roughly divided in half, with the Highland Monarch appearing prominently in the foreground, being escorted by a tugboat out of harbor, with a cityscape (presumably London) in the background. The top portion of the sheet is a map of South America that whimsically emerges from one of the Highland Monarch's smokestacks. Bright colors depict the varied terrain and elevation of the southern half of the continent, while the cities visited by the Highland Monarch and the ship's route are indicated.

The Highland Monarch

The Highland Monarch was an ocean liner built by Harland and Wolff in Belfast in 1928 for the Nelson Steam Navigation Company, a subsidiary of the Royal Mail Steam Packet Company (reformed in 1932 as Royal Mail Lines). It was one of a set of four sister ships built around the same time for Royal Mail, the others being the Highland Brigade, Highland Chieftain, and Highland Princess. The Highland Monarch could accommodate 720 passengers in three classes. Its maiden voyage left London on October 18, 1928.

The ship's usual route was London - Leixoes (Portugal) - Lisbon - Las Palmas - Rio de Janeiro - Santos - Montevideo - Buenos Aires, generally with first and intermediate passengers boarding in London and third-class passengers boarding in Portugal. After the Nelson Steam Navigation Company was fully incorporated into Royal Mail Lines, the Highland Monarch continued on the same service. In 1940, the Highland Monarch was requisitioned by the Royal Navy as a troopship, and returned to private service in 1946, continuing to operate until it was scrapped in 1960.

Publication History and Census

This map poster was prepared by an unknown artist (signing at the bottom-left, perhaps 'AOBI'), likely around the year 1930. It is reminiscent of the style of artist Kenneth Shoesmith (1890 - 1939), who produced some posters for Royal Mail Lines, but his works include a distinct signature. This is the only known example.

Condition

Good. Edge wear. Creasing. Closed edge tears professionally repaired on verso. Old verso repairs. Slight loss to upper border. Open tear extending 1 inch into printed area from right edge stabilized on verso.