Our latest sign was inspired by classic steamship travel posters from the turn of the 20th century. Industry giants such as Cunard, White Star lines, North German Lloyd and Holland America ruled the high seas before commercial air travel brought an end to the golden age of oceanic passage. From West Manhattan’s Chelsea piers, Boston Harbor, and other east coast ports, voyages took as little as five days to reach far off ports such as Southhampton, Liverpool, Queenstown, Glasgow, Dover, Rotterdam and Bremen. The era’s top graphic designers and illustrators were commissioned to romanticize these voyages to lure adventurous travelers. The hand lettering on these posters is absolutely genius. So much so, it makes me weep (seriously), not to mention the majestic renderings that bring these “greatest wonders of the age” to life. The fact that these posters still inspire after 120 years with never-to-be-obtained-again perfection is a remarkable testament to these early graphic artists.